Help Cassie to fight her biggest battle yet!

I have set up this page for my cousin Cassie, she has recently been re-diagnosed with brain cancer, here is her story....

Back in 2009, Cassie was diagnosed with a large brain tumour. She successfully underwent surgery and treatment. Cassie had a beautiful daughter in 2012 and got married in 2013. The tumour has returned and she now has a massive fight ahead of her.

Anyone that meets Cassandra immediately loves her, with her quirky sense of humour and her infectious chipmunk laugh. Even with everything going on in her life she still is so positive and has so much love to give.

Back in 2009, Cassie was living in Chatswood with her partner Kamahl and working in Bondi as a scuba diving instructor. After coming out of the water after a dive she had a seizure where she had no control of her left side. Immediately, she was rushed to hospital where (after many tests) she was informed that she had a large brain tumour. Within a week, the tumour was removed and we found out that it was a Grade 2 Astrocytoma. Following the operation Cassie had been monitored regularly (every 6 months) with MRI’s to check on her progress.

Since the tumour removal Cassandra and Kamahl have had a beautiful daughter Ariela in 2012 and were married in 2013. Cassie could no longer pursue her diving instructor career so started studying teaching, which she is due to graduate from in June this year (2018).
In 2016 a routine MRI showed that there was slight growth, so a month of radiotherapy was done. Following that, the MRI scans were changed to every three months to keep an eye on things. It began to shrink and everything looked good.

May 9th 2018, a routine 3 month scan showed a large growth (5 x 4.5 x 3.5cm) had filled the old cavity within 3 months. It was removed May 15th. It was removed May 15th and the biopsy results show that it is a Grade 4 Glioblastoma. She will now start temozolomide indefinetly to hopefully stop it from returning.

Cassie has a fight now to get back to her amazing self to try to finish her studies and graduate, which have been pushed back right now and all the while being a wonderful mum to her daughter. Alongside chemotherapy, Cassie is hoping to get some treatment at the National Institute of Innovative Medicine (NIIM) - niim.com.au. This will help to help boost her immune system which will make the chemo more effective. Cassandra is hoping to start treatment at NIIM in Melbourne and then follow up treatment in Sydney. These treatments are quite expensive and only a small amount is covered by private health cover.
This brings me to why we have set up this campaign. We are hoping that anyone that would like to help out in any small way (every dollar helps) would please donate a few dollars to go toward the upcoming months of treatments that Cassie will be undergoing. Also to help with the pressure that needing to travel interstate will put on her husband and daughter.

We hope that advances in cancer treatment will come up in the very near future that will take away the need to be on constant chemo tablets. In the meantime Cassie needs to give this her everything!

Please keep Cassie in your prayers and thank you for taking the time to read her story.