On par for recovery: Greg's fight against cancer!

Hi, we are Jess & Damian and close friends of Greg& Kym. We have started this page to help this beautiful couple through an unimaginable time, supporting them both as Greg fights cancer for the second time in his life!

For those who know Greg, you will know that he is the kindest, most incredibly generous, and warm person that exists. This golf-loving guy will be the first to buy you a drink on a night out or in Damian’s case, a door frame chin-up bar birthday present after only knowing him a few months. This is why, it is painful to think that someone as lovable and generous as Greg, could be faced with cancer, again!

Greg & Kym's Story:

When Greg and Kym returned from their Japan trip earlier this year, Greg didn’t feel quite right. He went to the doctor, only to be told it was most likely a travel illness and to return in a few weeks if his symptoms persisted. Thankfully, Greg trusted his gut and returned to the doctor.

In April of this year, Greg and Kym were delivered with the shocking news that he has Stage 4 metastatic melanoma cancer, which had spread to his liver, lungs, and brain. Sadly, the prognosis for Stage 4 metastatic melanoma is less than favourable. Greg was presented with a tough reality, where the odds of success with immunotherapy stood at 50/50.

Statistically, only 10-20% of patients experience complete remission through this treatment.

It appears that the cancer stemmed from a mole Greg had removed 3 years prior. He followed all the necessary procedures, not only removing the mole but also undergoing a surgical excision of the surrounding skin and having two lymph nodes removed to ensure the complete eradication of any potential cancer cells. He remained diligent, undergoing 3 monthly skin checks, as well as regular CT and PET scans to ensure his health was on the right track. What makes this journey even more bewildering is that as recently as May 2022, Greg's CT scan came back completely clear, and he was advised that he was now safe to have annual skin checks.

Jumping back to April of this year, receiving this life-altering and frightening news at the age of 33 was and still is terrifying for them both. The week following his diagnosis was full of multiple CT, MRI, and PET scans, plus a stay in hospital to complete a liver biopsy to confirm the melanoma diagnosis. Given the aggressiveness of his cancer, Greg’s oncologist arranged for immunotherapy treatment to begin ASAP. The treatment plan consisted of 3-4 hours of double-dose immunotherapy every three weeks, for 12 weeks.

On top of all this, Greg further lost his independence being unable to work and drive due to the cancer in his brain, as there is a high risk of having a seizure or stroke at any time. As you can imagine during this process, Kym was also coming to terms with the upending of the future they had planned.

In June 2023, during the rollercoaster of Greg and Kym’s life, a follow-up PET scan delivered incredible news. Greg had a great response to treatment and the cancer in his liver, lungs and spine had drastically reduced. Cancer in his brain remained the same, but they were told this was to be expected and the brain just “needs more time”. Although this was the best news they could have hoped for, they knew there was still a long road ahead.

Fast forward to just over a week ago (August 2023), Greg had another MRI to assess the lesions in his brain. Unfortunately, this scan brought mixed results. While some of the lesions had reduced or disappeared, there is a lesion in his brain that has increased in size and is now becoming an

immediate danger to Greg. Following this news, they met with a Neurosurgeon and Greg is booked in to have brain surgery on Thursday 17th August, just 4 months after initially finding out of his cancer.

As a consequence, Kym, who is now the primary income earner, now faces the necessity of taking an additional extended leave from work. This is to ensure round-the-clock care for Greg during his post-surgery recovery of 4-6 weeks.

We are here to rally behind Greg and Kym and support him in this unexpected battle. We don’t know what the next few weeks, months or years look like for our friends, so we are reaching out to all

those who know and love Greg and Kym. Every contribution not only helps alleviate the financial strain that comes with such a situation, such as medical bills, treatment costs and rehabilitation, but will also allow Kym to take further time off work to care for and spend time with the love of her life.

We know this target is ambitious, but no one, let alone a couple in their early 30’s should have to experience what they are going through and if we can all work together to alleviate some of the financial burden, it might just make their journey that bit more tolerable.

Thanks, Jess & Damian x