Cancer is always unfair but sometimes its timing is particularly cruel.
Imagine for a moment that you’re a 22-year-young man on the brink of independent adult life. You’ve just completed university, landed a graduate position with a good company, moved into an apartment with your girlfriend, and you’re saving money for a dream overseas trip. And then you find a strange lump on your shoulder blade …
In May this year Jacques Mathot was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, an aggressive cancer of bone and connecting tissue which has a notoriously poor survival rate.
Like many Ewings sufferers, Jac’s painful shoulder was initially misdiagnosed as a sports injury. By the time scans had been done, the tumour in his scapula was ten centimetres across and the cancer had spread to his pelvis and spine.
Jac is now undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and is about to start radiotherapy, a punishing treatment regime which he is facing with remarkable good humour.
But while the tumours are shrinking, the oncologists know from bitter experience that the cancer is highly likely to develop resistance to the treatment and return with a vengeance. Jac’s odds of being cured by conventional treatment, they say, are only one-in-four.
For decades there have been no significant advances in the treatment of Ewing Sarcoma. Now, almost miraculously, Jac has another treatment option. Molecular profiling of his cancer has found that it contains a mutation often seen in breast cancer. That mutation is the target for a revolutionary new breast cancer drug called Enhertu, which is proving highly effective.
Jac’s doctors think this is really worth trying, but in his rare case Enhertu is not covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and the drug company has declined to provide compassionate access. His family must therefore pay the huge cost in full – and that will be at least $120,000.
If the money can be raised, Jac could become a textbook example of an exciting new approach to cancer treatment, which involves matching an existing drug to the individual molecular profile of the patient’s cancer. It’s about giving the right drug to the right patient, at the right time – a targeted approach that has proven to be six times more effective than one-size-fits-many chemotherapies.
Please help Jac resume the life he dreams of and has worked so hard for. In doing so, you’ll also be spotlighting a potential way forward for other rare cancer sufferers who find that conventional cancer treatments are not enough and who might really benefit from new and emerging drug therapies.
My Updates
February 2025 Update
Thursday 27th Feb
A lot of you having been asking “how is Jac doing?” Very well, as it happens. Having just completed 14 rounds of chemotherapy and five weeks of daily radiation therapy, a full-body scan last week found no visible tumours!
In the majority of cases like this, the Ewings sarcoma returns within 12 months. Jac, of course, now has a unique weapon to fight off its possible return – the cutting-edge Antibody Drug Conjugate called Enhertu that so many of you helped us to raise money for. Thanks to your generosity, a successful fundraising party and the support of the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation, we have raised a bit more than the minimum $120,000 we needed for the currently-planned Enhertu doses. The way the rare cancer community has banded together to assist us has been both humbling, and uplifting.
We now enter unknown territory. As far as we know, Jac is the first Ewings patient in the world to receive Enhertu. He will receive the first of these treatments next month and every three weeks after that until about October. The science says it SHOULD work, but only time will tell.
In the meantime, Jac is looking forward to growing his hair back, returning to work full time, and hanging out with his mates.
Thanks again for all your support
ShareThank you to my Sponsors
$54.12
Jade Webb
$52.92
Anonymous
May God stand by you in this trial Jack
$54.12
Rad Stefanovic
Good luck Jacques
$54.12
Daniel Townsend
$52.02
H.a.
$30
Rahil Chand
$54.12
Phillip Saba
God bless you Jacques and help you through this trying time!
$50
Radhika Prasanna
$27.81
Moe Zreika
$27.81
Tarin Aftab
$50
Marc Stanislas
Jaqqeez you are a legend! Take those meds and kick cancers ass!
$50
Leisl Wratten
$50
Anonymous
$40
Peter Adams
$100
Carlene Lawler
Thoughts are with you all x
$100
Monika Kwong
$50
Peter West Peter West
Donation from Peter West (brother of Luke)
$25
Elizabeth Mudd
$250
Deirdre Brennan
$500
Geoffrey Gatfield
$50
Merilyn Heuschkel
$20k
Anonymous
$50
Aidan Bega
$200
Anonymous
$3.25k
Anonymous
$200
William Vuong
You've got this.
$50
Sandra Morrow
Sending you and your family lots of positive thoughts!
$30
Kay Bennetts
$25
Dallas Mcloon
$100
Anonymous
$200
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
Sending you lots of strength and support x
$20
Merilyn Dawson
$100
Robert Bes
$10
Matt Graham
$25
Anonymous
Hope this helps
$100
Anonymous
Goodluck Jacques!
$25
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
You’ve got this Jacques, keep fighting the good fight. xx
$200
Anonymous
God bless you and grant you healing.
$50
Natalie Taylor
$10
Anonymous
You got this buddy, kick it’s backside
$100
Anonymous
From Jennifer in Newcastle
$50
Karelle Leroy
$200
Tiyan Baker
$200
Helen Bouropoulos
All the very best to you Jac!! We’re all thinking of you. Hugh, Helen, Philip & Tim xxx
$100
Anonymous
Wishing you all the best and hope you can raise enough funds for your treatment and that it is successful
$10
Anonymous
$10
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
$50
Andrew Wrigley
You can do it mate. We'll all be thinking of you through your journey.
$100
Anonymous
All the best Jacq! Get well soon.
$100
Jacob Manfred
$100
Laura Nagy
$100
Anonymous
$50
Vineti Anand
$50
Melani Gatmaitan
$120
Patrick Lyons
$50
Alexandria Irvine
$500
Bob Seary
$100
Rama Kandarpa
I wish a speedy recovery
$100
Dean Whitehouse
$50
Daisy Revill
$100
Sebastian Sokolowski
You’ve got this man 💪 wishing you a fast recovery, and getting back to normal as soon as possible!
$50
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
$50
Declan Crane
Hope this helps mate don’t worry more is on the way
$1,000
The Sokolowski Family
We wish you all the very best Jacques.
$15
Cyrus Potter
$200
Caecilia Potter
Wishing you a swift recovery
$50
Nichola Baker
$10
Melissa Heffernan
$10
Melissa Heffernan
Keep fighting 🧡
$50
Amy Debono
You can beat this. And you will. All the best.
$100
Katie Ward
Thinking of you Jacques and hope you get all the support you need.
$80
Anonymous
$100
Adrian Chow
Stay strong brother, fight hard and stay resilient. hoping to hear good news from you soon!
$100
Mark Holmes
Wishing you all the best Jacques!
$100
Nat Connor
xox
$200
Benjamin Nguyen
From Ben and Roy Need to see you get better bro
$50
Edward Mckinney
$200
Alice Luey
Hey Mark old buddy, sending my love and prayers to Jac and the family xx
$25
Jacqueline Wells
$500
The Hearing Hub
$50
Andrew Mara
$50
Ruth Hackett
$50
Anonymous
$250
Sophia Hill
$100
Ben Swindale
$100
Kate Lindwall
$200
Vicki Snelson
Hoping you make a full recovery
$100
Shannon Rooney
Here’s to beating this x
$50
Camelia Tobia
$200
Janice Tong
Mathot - it’s been a long time. Sending you and Jac all my love xx
$50
Declan Crane
More still on the way brother 🤙🏼
$50
Jordan Thomas
Keep going mate!
$100
Ruth Mccain
$100
Anonymous
$50
Anonymous
$200
Brooke Spalding
$500
Leslee Ellis
Hi Jaques, good luck from the Ellis-Gannell family
$100
Alexandre Songeon Senzaki
Keep at it Jac!!
$50
Marta Newport
You've got this
$35
Sarah Mcgrory
$50
Jad Mouait
$50
Emily Crossey
Thinking of you! You've got this.
$100
Ben Scott
$50
Manjoot Dhillon
$30
Pip Noble
$50
Neha Mittal
$50
Aayesha Khan
$50
Conor Farley
$50
Alana Shirley
$35
Ray Gazi
We are with you Jacques❤️
$50
Steve Rowland
Wishing you every success.
$50
Tatjana Van Lint
Wishing you the very best in this fight Jacques. Xx
$100
Sian Sinclair
$100
Matt R
$5
Anonymous
$50
Felicity Biggins
$50
Juliana Gerlach
$50
Vicky Fei Dong
Wishing you all the best Jacques!
$50
Anonymous
$50
Ben Edwards
$20
Connor Kahui-chee
It’s all I can give rn but more on the way
$50
Alex Morigaki
$25
Alex Morigaki
$20
Gisella Collins
Wishing you all the best with your treatment, lots of love.
$50
Giselle Thiele
$20
Isabella Straviote
$25
Isobella Morrison
$200
Kerrie Whitla
$50
Lauren Swaab
$2k
Jiying Fan
Da bai zhu da bai zhu da bai zhu have no mumu
$150
Kate Xxxx
Fanmily will do anything to keep each other safe and healthy. My thoughts and love are with you in this battle.
$100
Lauren Kelly
X
$100
Matt Mcauley
Wishing you all the best Jacques.
$100
Maureen Murphy
Good luck Jacques with the treatment.
$200
Brianne Thiele
$100
Stephen Fitzgerald
$200
Najla Nasr
$50
Jane Fletcher
Sending hope and love from Newcastle.(Linda's Friend)
$100
Dominic Tonna
$100
Leanne Larsson
Sending Healing wishes 💕
$50
Anonymous
Wishing you grace and perseverance Jacques
$50
Michaela Shea
$400
Ann Caddey
A painting of mine called Hope has been sold to make this donation. The buyer was Gerder Maeder. With live.
$200
Don Nutbeam
$30
Julia Morrison
$50
Chloe Wyatt
Fingers and toes are crossed for you with this treatment.
$25
Peter Trevaskis
$3k
Anonymous
Good luck Jac - we are thinking of you and with you on your journey there and back again :)
$50
Grant Parnell
$150
Angela Todd
$1.5k
Chris Low
Thinking of you guys. Hope you can get the treatment you need to get through this.
$25
Jacqueline Wells
$1,000
Anne Casazza
We wish you the speediest of recovery with the new drug! ❤️ Mark & Anne C
$50
Anonymous
Best wishes
$50
Anonymous
$30
Anonymous
Hope you kick this C butt!!
$50
Anonymous
$100
Paul Bradshaw
$250
Martin Rafter
Give it hell Jacques.
$50
Anonymous
$100
Nicholas Green
$100
Nicholas Green
$500
Kate Douchkov
$100
Lynn Wiezel
Sending you all lots of love.
$50
Anonymous
$100
Helmut Uhlmann
Wishing you all the strength in the world in facing this unfathomable challenge at such a young age
$100
Leanne Hassett
Mark, Keeping you, Jac & your family in my thoughts.
$200
Pearl Casazza
Thinking of you and wishing you all the best for your recovery
$1,000
Mechintellect Pty Ltd
Wishing you all the best in your treatment. Hope all goes well.
$50
Nicole Sutcliffe
$100
Carmen Ko
$50
Sue Mcmurtrie
Hoping that this is a breakthrough for sarcoma and gives you the future you deserve. In memory of my 23 year old daughter x
$500
Sharyn Clarke
I hope this helps you Jacques - the medical system has to change
$50
Michelle Risson
$150
Andria Ratchford
$10
Anonymous
$500
Merilyn Speiser
Hi Jacques I am a good friend of Tony Crane and I hope this small donation goes some way towards reaching your goal. All the best Mez Speiser
$500
Merilyn Speiser
Hi Jacques hope this small donation goes some way towards helping you through, best wishes Merilyn Speiser
$100
Pauline Dunne
$100
Tash K
Sending you all much love xxx
$100
Steve Fontanot
$200
Anonymous
Hi Mark So sad to hear this news. Max actually told me about it last week. Your a legend buddy 🤛 Cheers Kris
$100
Andrew Milat
$100
Claire Mueller
$50
Grace Welcome
$50
Abby Landy
$50
Lucy Jackson
$30
Anonymous
222 - just trust
$15
Emma Rose
Sending all the love and healing thoughts
$50
Ahleyah Deyaolu
$100
Frances Mocnik
$100
Jemma Anderson Hirst
Sending big love on this journey x
$200
Jillian D’ercole
Sending all my love to the three of you, and particularly your gorgeous boy, Jac.
$50
Cain Hillier
$150
Suze Van Der Ploeg
On behalf of Suze van der Ploeg
$30
Imi Hillier
$500
Gabriella Barschdorff
Stay strong!
$50
Anonymous
$200
Bonnie Rae
$200
Paul Bodell
T&P
$500
Merilyn Speiser
Hi Jac I am a close friend of Tony Crane - wishing you all the very best x
$20
Anonymous
$150
Roy And Jane Van Der Ploeg
Lots of love, dear Jac, from your family in The Netherlands
$200
Mary-jane & Maru Jones
$250
Richard And Kate Vines
With our very best wishes. Stay strong.
$100
Leanne Broadbent
$500
Rob Oerlemans
Honouring Noah
$500
Michael Oerlemans
$750
Eddy Meyer
$100
Ron And Viv Swaab
$1,000
Grant Belcher
You've got this Jac but let's make sure you get all the help possible
$50
Stefanie Bell
$150
Rob Meyer
$10
Katie Hale
$200
Philippa Ditton-phare
All our best wishes with the treatment. You got this!
$25
Vicki Stewart
$50
Nicolle Dargue
$100
Michael Parris
$150
Erik Van Der Ploeg
Wishing you all the luck in the world, from your relatives in the Netherlands.
