On the 25th of June 2017, I presented with food poisoning-like symptoms. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case- I was diagnosed with Gastric Intestinal Stromal Tumour Cancer (GIST) stomach cancer.
My name is Megan Heke I am 45 years of age, a single mother of two children - Jack (9) and Laine (6). On the 25th of June 2017, I presented with food poisoning-like symptoms, unfortunately that wasn’t the case - I was diagnosed with Gastric Intestinal Stromal Tumour Cancer (GIST) stomach cancer. At the time my youngest son Laine was 3 months old.
This cancer is a metastatic disease which has travelled to lymph nodes, liver & kidneys and surgery wasn’t an option.
My treatment to date has been oral chemotherapy started with Gleevec (Imatinib) in July 2017. This treatment worked for 12 months but then we started to see changes / growth on my scan results.
I commenced new treatment Sutent (Sunitinib) doing 4-week cycles on treatment and 2 weeks off. Unfortunately, the same has occurred; it worked for over 12 months and now we are seeing growth on the scan results.
When there was no other treatment options available, I was lucky enough to be accepted for a immunotherapy trial for which I had iv immunotherapy fortnightly for 2 years, this treatment was successful in reducing my stomach tumours in size slightly and keeping my stomach tumours fully stable.
Megan with her two boys, Jack and Laine
In my recent scan February 2023 there has been growth in the liver tumours and another treatment was needed. I commenced on Qinlock and I had a severe allergic reaction to this medication, I am unsure now what the future holds in the way of treatment options.
I now need a new treatment, alternative therapies and a second opinion from a GIST Specialist in another state, however there is no funding / money to support this.
I’m a single mum who is unable to work due to cancer symptoms / chemotherapy side effects, therefore I don’t have the funds available to pay for my own treatment.
PLEASE HELP ME TO FUND MY TREATMENT, MY BOYS NEED THEIR MOTHER TO BE HERE FOR THEM.
I thank you for your support from
the bottom of my heart this will be life changing 😊