In July 2017, Nixon was diagnosed with stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma Cancer MYCN amplified. It was discovered that the cancer was throughout his entire abdomen (from his pelvis to his diaphragm), spots on his chest, right arm bone and both thigh bones.
We were told he had a 55% chance of surviving the next 5 years. He had 20 months of treatment including 6 months chemotherapy, 12 hour major abdominal surgery where he was then intubated in ICU for 4 days following surgery, two stem cells transplants with high dose chemotherapy being isolated in hospital for a month each time, 12 rounds of radiation and 7 months of immunotherapy. On top of this he had 3 ICU admissions, a number of bacterial infections in his blood, had a central line in his chest for 18 months, 33 blood product transfusions, 25 general anaesthetics, 20 months being fed through a nasal gastric tube and 289 days in hospital.
In March 2019, Nixon finished his treatment plan and his scans were clear.
In September 2019, Nixon relapsed. Our oncologist said that his chance of surviving the next 5 years is very little. He started a trial of combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The treatment is extremely painful as it attacks the nerves throughout the body. Imagine having a tooth ache but that feeling is throughout your abdomen, arms, hands, feet and legs. Because of this he is dosed up on double strength morphine/fentanyl and gabapentin. This treatment will continue until mid-October 2020 if there are no delays or complications.
Nixon is at high risk of again relapsing. If he relapses again after this treatment, he will have a 0-2% chance of surviving. We simply cannot take this chance.
Nixon's only hope for a cure is to get him to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York and participate in a vaccine trial against neuroblastoma. This trial is a course of 7 vaccines over 12 months. The trial has been ongoing for over 10 years! But is not available in Australia.
The purpose of the trial is for the body to make antibodies against the 2 antigens in the vaccine, those antibodies might also attach to neuroblastoma cells because a lot of each antigen is on neuroblastoma (and very little on other parts of the body). Then, the attached antibodies would attract the patient's white blood cells to kill the neuroblastoma. Stopping a relapse from occurring. This is Nixon's best chance of survival. As parents, we need to do everything we can to help our son survive.
The costs associated with this vaccine trial is AU$350,000.
A link to the trial can be found here. Please note that the trial states the estimated date of completion is May 2020 however I have been in contact with 2 of the head oncologists from MSK Cancer Centre and also a head researcher for the trial. All have confirmed there is no end date for the trial and they will continue registering patients after May 2020:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00911560
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NixonsHopeforaCure/?eid=ARASC8KJH-JDMnfbnZkYTWcaYtlXW3pS0keNfoguU8nKqXh49FJZyYiu4vhWFTnOIc9bEjYX_b45
Thank you to my Sponsors
$250
Kate & Richard Vines
$30
Laura Epton
❤
$50
Lizzy B
Good li
$100
Amanda Mclauchlan
Sanding lots of love and strength your way
$1,000
Anonymous
$500
Rival Ink
$30
Anonymous
$300
Corey Creed & Tiffany Jackson.
We are praying Nixon gets the help he needs. Love Corey & Tiff.
$50
Emma Wilson
$30
Anonymous
May God be with you and heal you
$50
David Li
$100
Ki
$50
Scott Blackstein
$30
Greg Roots
Stay positive Nixon! Hope ur pain free & heathy soon mate!
$30
Anonymous
$2.5k
Janice’s Gospel Community
$50
Anonymous
$10
Claudine & Ben
All our love and prayers
$100
Wendy Beutel
Sending love and healing vibes...xx
$50
Sonia Gould
$100
Anonymous
Nixon stay strong little man..
$50
Liz Smith
Keep fighting
$200
Patch
I wish you all the best dan and family
$30
Nige And Joy
$20
Anonymous
Praying this helps you to find a cure for this horrid disease 💕
$100
The Stevo’s
Thinking of you little man !
$500
Mel Deagan
$20
Lisa Smith
Keep fighting little man x
$100
Maria Seminotti
💙💙💙
$100
Danny Cotton
Keep fighting!
$900
Sue Kilpatrick
Love the jacket
$20
Anonymous
$2k
The Busy Group
$50
Lizzy And Ripley
Happy 4th Birthday Nixon xxx
$100
Ed George
$50
Mel's Birthday Fundraiser Facebook
$100
Peter And Janine Bartlett
You are a very brave little man, you have our support
$5k
Neumann Benevolent Foundation
$100
Anonymous
$500
Lana Hall
$10
Chris Collin
Wishing you all the very best Nixon. Sending love and hugs your way little man ❤
$20
Gianni Bramanti
auguri piccolo
$50
Anonymous
Best wishes for your treatment little man!
$200
Anonymous
$20
Rachelle Chee
$50
James M
$20
Sarah Bradtke
Support for Nixon and Mr Blake's shave for a cure
$25
Lauren Campbell
$20
James Small
$20
Sarah Mahon
$20
Toby's Painting
$764
Pimpama State Secondary College
This amount is for fundraising from our market days at the college. We hope it makes a difference.
$20
Anonymous
$20
Ana Robertson
$250
Black Hops Brewery
We wish you well Nixon!
$100
Claire Jessup
Sending love to the Melvilles - good luck x
$1,000
Ali Martin
To Dearest Nixon, Sending all our love Aunty Betty & Ali ♥️♥️♥️
$50
Lisa Stevens
We are praying for you little Nixon. You will get through this, stay strong and fight. 💓
$10
Dominic Ihle
$20
Anonymous
Hope all goes exceptionally well! 💕
$50
Sabrina Smeaton
You’re so strong and brave! You’ve got this Nixon, stay strong! Savannah and Sabrina
$50
Lisa Brooke
All the best little guy! Wishing you all the best.
$3k
Kahlee Townsend From Ray White
$200
Krystal Barter
I just saw this through Rare Cancers. As a parent, I can only imagine. Let’s get you over there.
$200
Anonymous
$30
Anonymous
Blessings to you, brave little boy!
$5.15k
Jessica Pereira
Like the kind people who donated to me before, I am paying it forward to you. Very best wishes xo
$200
Damien Linck
Hey Nixon.. Keep fighting little man 🦸♂️.. All the best..
$100
All the very best for your treatment, Nixon.