Help John Beat Brain Cancer!

After suffering from months of debilitating migraines and nausea, our friend John Bickford was devastatingly diagnosed with a rare, unclassifiable form of brain cancer at the age of 35. This presentation of cancer has never been seen before by any doctor or medical professional at UCLA. John is a loving father, husband, son and brother - kind-hearted, generous, selfless and always there for a friend. And now, as John focuses on fighting the biggest battle of his life, we want to help lighten the financial burden that he and his family are facing so they can focus on the lifesaving treatment and medical support he needs to survive.

John is the father of two sweet young girls, Emma (4) and Chloe (2), and a loving husband to his wife Andreea whom he met in school. He is fighting for his life so he can live to see his daughters graduate from preschool, and continue to celebrate their milestones with them and all the joys life has to offer their family for years to come.

Separate from the cancer itself, which required weeks of grueling chemotherapy and radiation, John also has been suffering from another emergency medical issue, hydrocephalus. He has now had multiple surgeries to implant shunts on both sides of his brain to reduce his brain swelling and fluid build-up, but complications relating to this condition have left John in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at UCLA for months requiring 24-hour care and medical attention. During John’s time at UCLA his health deteriorated quickly causing him to need round-the-clock care including help with the most basic tasks – walking and taking care of basic needs.

UCLA hospital, where John is being treated, is a 1.5+ hour round-trip drive from his home. His wife travels back and forth from home, where she cares for their girls, to be with John when he is hospitalized. Given strict policies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, John’s girls have only seen their dad a handful of times in the past 3 ½ months.

John was recently released from ICU and transferred to California Rehab Institute to focus on his rehabilitation. He completed a portion of his rehab and was released to be home with his family and will continue receiving outpatient services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy at Center for Neuro Skills for months to come. He must recover from the complications relating to hydrocephalus, while also fighting his brain cancer.

While Andreea takes care of their young children, John will need full-time care in the coming months while he undergoes therapy to build the strength to be able to walk on his own and be healthy enough to continue to get his brain cancer treatments. His daughters are excited their Daddy will be home now but we're seeking your help to get John well enough to get out of bed and play with his girls, read to them at night and take them to their first day of school.

The cost of John's monthly medical insurance payments (which John and Andreea are now fully responsible for since John is on long-term disability), cancer treatments, and caretaking related expenses are substantially more than John and Andreea can afford. Before John’s cancer diagnosis he was the sole provider for his family and he currently cannot work due to his illness. Andreea was on maternity leave when COVID hit, and since John’s diagnosis, she has been trying to do as much freelance work as she can while also being a full-time mom tending to their two girls, as well as John, every day. Our goal is to help ensure these expenses are covered so John can continue to get the level of care he needs and deserves.

While John and Andreea need much more financial help than what we have set as the current goal on this fundraiser, this amount will give them a head start on John's battle with brain cancer. Our hope is that with your generosity and help in spreading the word, we may further lighten their financial burden so John can focus on fighting for more time with his family.

We are so grateful for anything you can contribute. Every single donation counts and goes towards supporting John's recovery to get healthy so he can live a full and happy life with his wife and daughters.

Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. We are grateful for you!