We did it, guys!
This is a special moment...
My dear friends,
Thank you.
I cannot reach out to all of you guys individually, so I had to write this. So many of you chose to help us through a difficult period. I struggle to put my gratitude into words.
Earlier this year (in late February), my wife and I received news that our son, Archimedes, had stage 3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma - a cancer that affects the ear, neck and throat area. He could barely open his mouth and had nosebleeds at the time.
About a week later (in early March), we shared the news with you and the rest of the world through a fundraiser (Help Archimedes Beat Cancer). We needed a lot of money for our son to be treated. Money we didn't have. [If anyone out there is able and willing to help us clear the outstanding portion of the bill, we will gratefully accept all contributions.]
On 20 November 2024, Archimedes' oncologist told us that the scans showed that the tumour was gone. The treatment, six months of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiation (every weekday) worked. We did it, guys. Finally, Archimedes can pursue his dream to be a chef.
The three heroes in this are Archimedes, the doctors and you guys.
Chemotherapy treatment is rough. It's really tough on the body. Archimedes had chemo for months, and despite the visible pain not once did I hear him complaining. He took everything in stride.
Radiation ravaged his body. He had visible burns on the neck. However, the inside was worse. After 19 days of radiation, he couldn't eat solid food anymore. We had to put him on a liquid diet (he stayed on a liquid diet for close to two months as the sores on his throat caused by radiation healed). Even then, he didn't complain. He was so focused on getting better that everything else didn't seem to matter.
One time, he asked to do chores on the same day he arrived home from the hospital after chemo. I didn't want to yield to his request but felt it would be unfair if I didn't allow him chores. I later realised they gave him a sense of purpose.
The one thing he did complain about was the time he spent away from his siblings (a brother and a sister). During radiation, he had to live away from home to be closer to the hospital. His only request was that we change the situation and allow him to spend more time at home. He missed his siblings. Not a word about the pain. He accepted it as a necessary part of his journey.
He has carried that mindset into his post-treatment. Radiation damaged his salivary glands. He now produces small amounts of saliva, which is insufficient to help him when eating. He takes it in stride. His ears and hearing were also affected. He takes that in stride too.
Our young, frail 12-year-old showed me what strength is.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is not a common cancer. The few cases the oncologists that treated Archimedes have dealt with have been adults. Archimedes was their first minor. The information made me a little uneasy. But, I knew better than to doubt them. They trained for this and they kept abreast with modern interventions.
They were superb. They put his best interests ahead of everything else. There were moments when we felt that treatment was overwhelming his body and he might crumble under its demands. They always sat us down and patiently explained that they knew the limits of how far they could go.
Then there is you. You guys have no idea how much your generous contributions helped us. They made a difficult journey a little easier. You guys have no idea.
We have not yet fully paid off the bill, however, we owe a fraction of the entire cost of treatment. Chemotherapy medication costs an arm and leg, and things like biopsies and scans also cost quite a bit too. He needed a procedure to implant a chemo port into his chest. Each procedure costs quite a bit.
Admission was billed for every night he spent in the hospital. During chemo, Archimedes spent more days per week in hospital than he did at home. On average, he spent three days at home. Then there was radiation. The entire period was financially demanding.
Archimedes lost a lot of blood between December and January last year. We didn't know what was wrong at the time. He had to have multiple transfusions. During chemo and radiation, there were times when he needed transfusions and platelets. I can’t name it all.
We could not afford all of the above without your generous help. Your generous contributions to the fund also paid for his transport to and from the hospital and sometimes supplementary foods.
Yes, we did it guys. We asked you to help Archimedes Beat Cancer. With your help, Archimedes has won this round. Thank you for being in his corner.