Jack's Story - Donations for brain cancer research

The money raised will be used to acquire access to the ‘Oxford Nanopore minION’, which has been pioneered in Europe and which allows brain tumours to be diagnosed quickly and accurately and thus allowing patients to commence their treatment as soon as possible.

There are more than 100 different types of brain tumours and knowing precisely what sort of brain tumour a patient has allows oncologists to determine the most appropriate treatment. Coming to the correct diagnosis involves a pathologist looking at the tumour under the microscope and then running genetic tests to determine the exact type of brain tumour.

With current technology, the result takes two weeks to be completed and this can compromise the efficacy of treatment and lead to poorer health outcomes.

Jack was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), one of the most aggressive and deadly brain cancers and he was given just 12 months to live, it became clear that the surgery, radiation, and toxic chemicals he was forced to endure (to shrink the tumour, redress pain/swelling, assist with sleep, etc.) had scrambled his brain and finishing his finance/law degrees was no longer an option, I looked for something that might give him a career path if he survived.