Nathan Lawrence

This GoFundMe page has been authorised by the family of Nathan Lawrence.

It has been established to support Nathan, 36 years old, access the best treatment currently available to help him beat cancer and be around for his young family. Nathan is married to his wife Ilana and has two young daughters, Harriet (almost 4) and Minnie (just 9 months).

If you know Nathan, you'll know what a genuine, fun loving, hardworking, family guy he is. Always lending a helping hand, reliable, stubborn, honest (sometimes too honest), and a loyal friend.

Nathan and his family's world has been turned upside down practically overnight. Nathan was feeling ‘off' for around 12 months, with bloating, cramping and random abdominal pain. After multiple GP visits and tests, nothing came back conclusive so in true Nate fashion he requested ‘a camera up my arse’, because he just knew something was wrong. When he woke up from his gastroscopy and colonoscopy, the Dr didn't greet him with good news. They had found a mass in his colon and she was positive it was cancerous. Over the next week running further tests (CT, PET scans, Bloods and Biopsies) it was confirmed that the mass in his colon was indeed cancer but unfortunately it had spread to his lymph nodes.

Nate has requested he doesn't want to know what 'stage' it is, and he doesn't want to be given a 'timeline' because in true Nate stubborn and strong fashion, he is going to beat this.

However, this is where the family need your help. The best treatment for Nate is a treatment that is not readily funded and available in Australia. They have completed the clinical trials and had fantastic results in America but Australia are yet to join the party in having it readily available on the TGA. It's a two pronged drug approach of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab in which he would need regular treatment of this over two years. This is called immunotherapy. One vial costs $11,000 and the other cost $3,000. Over a two year treatment, this will cost around $110,000. Their gracious Oncologist approached the pharmaceutical company in hopes they would allow Nate to have the drug based on compassionate grounds, but they have declined. The family have spent almost $10,000 already, having Nate properly diagnosed. Had they not pursued this privately, Nate would still be waiting for his colonoscopy. In addition to medical costs, Nate’s diet has also changed and has put pressure on the weekly food bills.

The family and I are aware that the current financial climate at the moment is tough, but any small amount would be greatly appreciated, as many hands make light work.

This is the situation at present and this page will be updated, as Nate’s health position and requirements unfold. The family are also in the process of accessing their super.