Adam’s Brain Cancer Treatment

We are setting up this crowdfunding page for our dear neighbor, Adam, who has been going through a difficult time since his first diagnosis of brain cancer in June 2020. Several people have asked us about ways in which they can offer help and support. We thought this website would be the simplest and easiest way to share his story and provide a way for family and friends to offer assistance.

In May last year, Adam began experiencing episodes of memory loss for short periods of time. he was sent for an MRI scan which revealed the unexpected news that she had a tumour and quite severe swelling in his brain. It was really hard for a 10 year old kid to deal with this, his family tried everything they could to confer him.

Given the aggressive nature of the brain tumour, he had to undergo an urgent craniotomy (brain surgery to remove the tumour) within just four days of his diagnosis. The speed at which huge life-altering decisions had to be made was such that it was impossible to truly absorb what was happening. Waiting outside that operation room was the most anxious and emotional experience we have gone through together. We cannot express the immense relief and joy we felt when we finally heard from the surgeon that the operation was a success. Fears of possible side effects such as speech impairment, memory loss and even partial paralysis thankfully did not materialise.

After only a short recovery time from the surgery, Adam had to face twenty sessions of whole brain radiation therapy. he has just completed this treatment, so it is difficult to know at this stage what the side effects will be and what the next steps may be.

The rare diagnosis of brain cancer within has had a huge financial impact on Adam’s family. The cost of medical treatment in Morocco is substantial and their current medical insurance only partially covers the cost of surgery and subsequent treatment, which requires specific and highly specialised radiation equipment that the public hospitals in Morocco cannot provide. Adam’s family had already used a significant amount of their savings to cover the cost. Their income has a bad impacting Since his parent have not been able to work duo to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As their neighbors, it has been heartbreaking to see Adam and his parents go through this experience. We were concerned at the stress that the unexpected medical bills were putting on them, on top of having to deal with the physical and emotional aspects of the diagnosis, surgery and treatment. We felt that the financial strain they were under was something that we could help to alleviate but while our financial contributions have gone some way to help them, there is still a large gap. To put this into context, the costs associated with the craniotomy were 40,600$ and the radiation treatment 25,450$. Adam will require very regular scans (MRI and PET) to monitor his illness and it is highly likely that he will require immunotherapy, which will be an expensive form of treatment. The scans will be partially covered by insurance but is unlikely that the immunotherapy will be.

Many of you have asked how you can help Adam. An immediate and practical way is through making a financial contribution towards the medical expenses they have incurred. Our feeling is that a small sacrifice from each of us, when combined, will go a long way to helping them. We would truly appreciate any help that you are able to give.