My friend has been fighting the good fight for 9 years now. He is about to lose, despite his positive outlook and sense of humor about it. He is 33. I just wanted the world to know this beautiful soul before he is gone. Reddit, meet Jhaysonn.

Apr 3, 2018 4:43 PM

LalaSchoolhouse

Views

226653

Likes

5552

Dislikes

123

After college, he was planning on teaching in Korea when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

He beat Hodgkins Lymphoma, and has since been battling graft vs. host disease since. He has developed bronchiolitis obliterans (BOS) and is in the end stages of lung disease. There is no cure. The only hope is regenerative stem cell therapies which are not covered by Jhaysonn’s insurance.

One of his most recent visits to the ER this past Easter weekend.

With his dear friend (not me). He has been told by doctors countless times “there’s nothing more we can do.” He continues to prove them wrong.

Celebrating his birthday!

Playing King of Tokyo.

With his mom on graduation day. Just a taste of his bright personality.

At his college graduation, before the diagnosis. Also, he’s an *amazing* Spanish guitar player.

Another day in the life of a superhero. Peace sign! ✌️always staying positive.
If you are willing to donate to help keep him alive, and IF I’m allowed to post this link, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/help-jhaysonn-stay-alive

Imbruvica is approved for chronic Graft vs Host Disease. Has he talked to his doctor about it? Definitely worth a try.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Graft vs host is fucking horrifying, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

8 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

This is a Imgur BTW

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 2

Luck in battle, brother.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I found the tumor! It’s in all the extra unnecessary letters in his name

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 4

Stetson is down the road for me, sometimes I forget we are all people somewhere all over the world and some down the road. Wish him peace.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Props to a fellow NIN fan

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Since we missed his birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Insurance companies are literally fucking satan.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

C'mon man, you know the rules, nobody gets out of this game alive. The best you can do is aim to get the best score for your division.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

May you ride eternal! Shiny and chrome !

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 2

Googled Graft vs Host because I was curious and that's some wild shit. Also, insanely bad luck because it's super rare. Feels bad man.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Really not trying to be a dick, but this is imgur. Not Reddit

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 4

But... THIS ISN’T REDDIT!

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 7

I’m sorry! I tried to change it but I can’t. You all are awesome!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 2

It is crazy to me that stem cell research isn't more widely supported and the treatments aren't widely available.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Right? My dad was given 6 months to live, and has been going strong 10+ years thanks to a stem cell transplant. Everyone should have access.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma took my dad. That was the one thing he couldn’t do.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

My brother got NHL and was given 5 years to live at best. That was 20 years ago. Been a slog but hes still here. Best wishes to your friend

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

the goggles, they did nauthing!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I'd probably die too if to that was my name. Yes, I'll see you in hell.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 3

8 years ago | Likes 83 Dislikes 0

I upvoted this while simultaneously wanting to downvote based on feels

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I recently herd about a clinical trial at Stanford having positive results, right now they are only taking non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients..

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

but if they are making headway there maybe another trial could help.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Insurance. Hes a person treat the guy, what is wrong with society

8 years ago | Likes 50 Dislikes 7

It isn't an accepted treatment in the medical community for his problem. OP was a bit misleading in his/her commentary.

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 2

2/2 They haven't even done a single clinical trial for using it to treat lung disease yet and no long term or short term effects are known.

8 years ago | Likes 19 Dislikes 0

This. This is one of those times you just have to accept what's given to you. Best of luck to OP and his friend.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

/2 also appropriate username

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

I work for an insurance company. Government is a good amount of what's wrong with it, business is the rest.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 1

If you would like to donate https://www.gofundme.com/help-jhaysonn-stay-alive we are desperate and just trying to save him. Thank you all.

8 years ago | Likes 33 Dislikes 3

This is the kind of double dipping I like

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Put it in the description

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Why have some many people donated $33 or $333? I was just curious the significance of the number.

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 1

My guess is connected to his age. Which is 33. I saw some comments about "33 for our 33 years we've lived" on the gofundme.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

He just turned 33. It’s monumental and his dad has been using that number as a celebratory amount for people to donate, via Facebook.

8 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 1

Oh, okay. If I had thought about it for 5 minutes, I might have figured that out. Best of luck to your friend. I was sorry to read that.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

"We could cure him if only there was money." Man, fuck that noise. If we *can* cure someone, we *should*.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 2

There's actually no evidence that it *can* cure anyone; OP was talking about an experimental procedure that hasn't been proven to help.

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

I think this is in America, where a car accident leads to a hospital and then bankruptcy. The option of treatment despite poverty is myth.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

To be a myth someone would have to believe it. No one here believes poor people get proper treatment.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Ask one of the political parties in the US about poverty-level people and healthcare. They show a vested interest in a perpetuated myth !

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Strangely enough, poor people in every other G7 country get proper treatment. I think even Cuba's doing better. :-/

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I think the spelling of his name just gave me cancer

8 years ago | Likes 149 Dislikes 57

I was debating posting this exact phrase and not sure how it would go over, stay classy imgur, my faith is restored in you.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 22 Dislikes 2

I thought OP had a seizure mid sentence

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Aahahaha

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 2

You are a good friend and this sucks.

8 years ago | Likes 1058 Dislikes 0

Please don't forget his family if he passes - they will need his friends in their lives to keep his life present.

8 years ago | Likes 58 Dislikes 0

Thank you, I’m just trying to help save him: www.jhaysonnscure.com

8 years ago | Likes 67 Dislikes 2

I really dont want to sound disrespectful, my english is just not good enough. Does this mean there would be a cure, but you have to 1/2

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

2/2 raise money because it is so expensive? Because the insurance does not cover it?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1/2 I think the idea is it's not a definite cure, but it's the only thing that could help him at this point, you're correct about it being

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

2/2 necessary to raise money because his insurance does not cover the potential cure.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Donated - fuck cancer and fuck insurance companies.

8 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 1

You are a good person

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1. All the best to your friend. Have to say though - using terminology like 'battling', 'fighting' and 'losing' about people having cancer

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 2

5) Cancer is shitty!!!

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

1) I see your point and as someone who has a parent that is battling and fighting a rare cancer, the battle and fight is really them dealing

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I know. My mom died from cancer 4 years ago. She had a shitty disease that killed her. That's all. It wasn't that she didn't try hard enough

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

3) to stop and end treatment. Which ultimately means death. If my parent would have given up earlier, they wouldn't have seen their g-daught

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

4) -er to be born, and still see her to this day. Some days are shit for them, but there are still good ones. I feel for you and your loss

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

2) with all the side effects of the chemo. The side effects are horrible, but the chemo is working. At times, the patients just want it all

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

2. is something a lot of cancer patients resent. Because it makes it seem that their outcome depends on them fighting rather than.

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 2

3. a complicated reaction between cancer and medicin. If they don't make it or it comes back,its not because they didn't fight hard enough.

8 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 2

My mom has stage 4 terminal bone cancer and I never used that terminology. I never liked it. Some people say to her "keep fighting"... how?

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

All the best dude. Hearing someone can’t get a treatment because “insurance doesn’t cover it” makes my fucking blood boil.

8 years ago | Likes 620 Dislikes 10

It is such ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT that the system would just let someone die because of money. Bloody hell.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 2

It is going to kill him either way, it’s a question of how much time an experimental treatment might add.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

As a Canadian, that's a phrase I'm unfamiliar with. How has this kind of manslaughter-by-apathy not been fixed down there? 1st world or not?

8 years ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 3

A Canadian wouldn’t get the treatment either.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I’m right there with you. https://www.gofundme.com/help-jhaysonn-stay-alive any amount will help his fight. Thank you.

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Welcome to the good ol' US of A...Where nobody gives a fuck if you die - because that just means you're poor and don't deserve to live!

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 5

Welcome to the world of a lot of us. I'm not complaining, I'd already be dead in other countries. #dontfearthereaper

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

MURICA

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

Yeah, this is just not right.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 3

Was the first thing that sprang to my mind too. Fuck that fucking system

8 years ago | Likes 44 Dislikes 4

America!!!

8 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 5

To be fair... you'd hear "NHS doesn't cover it" otherwise.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

NHS is far from perfect but on other hand the UK doesn't have a TV show about a cancer patient making meth. Potatoes potahtoes...

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 3

Yet another example of people assuming TV accurately reflects reality.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Well it’s not an accepted treatment, so there’s a good chance most universal health systems wouldn’t cover it either.

8 years ago | Likes 59 Dislikes 2

There are countries that provide "free" healthcare even if you're dying...

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Yes, and the don’t normally provide unproven treatment at a high cost.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

If he lives are they afraid of lawsuits?

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Probably not, it’s like everything else, they weigh the cost vs benefit. The cost is fairly high, and the benefit isn’t well proven

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Well they would look at his chances, their ability to perform it and such, not how much money the patient has.

8 years ago | Likes 29 Dislikes 6

Cost is 100% part of the deliberation.

8 years ago | Likes 26 Dislikes 3

If there is no evidence the therapy works (i.e. "experimental"), there's no reason to cover it. Experimental therapies can kill people too.

8 years ago | Likes 19 Dislikes 1

Of course it has to have reached the stage where treatment is in h man trials. It's not the dark ages.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

Yes. But "in human trials" =/= "proven efficacy," so insurance shouldn't cover it. Usually the drug/device manufacturer sponsors trials.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

As much as I hate the system, some things are just too expensive to offer to everybody/may not have very high success. I don't know 1/2

8 years ago | Likes 20 Dislikes 3

While this is true, insurance fights paying for even simple standard procedures and payouts as much as possible. u.u

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

Generally true, depends on the insurance company ofc. I have had pretty good experience with Oregon state insurance, but most suck.

8 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

about this specific therapy, but usually you do an analysis where you look at how many years of life are gained by a certain procedure 2/

8 years ago | Likes 16 Dislikes 2

and if something is over 50k per extra year, it's usually not approved. Just remember treatment exists is not the same as, he could be 3/

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

cured. He might receive the treatment and die 2 days later from complications. Having said that, this may or may not fall into this category

8 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

That's all nice and logical until it happens to you.

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 5

Would this be something imgurians could help with? I’d chip in if there was a GoFundMe or something.

8 years ago | Likes 117 Dislikes 2

I suspect the ticking clock has advanced too far for that option

8 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1

Do this! Please

8 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

I'd pop £100 in http://memegenerator.net/img/instances/28625637/you-have-my-axe.jpg @OP not sure how far that would go tho

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

They put a gofundme link in post

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

https://www.gofundme.com/help-jhaysonn-stay-alive Thank you for asking

8 years ago | Likes 49 Dislikes 1

Donated. Sharing story. Holding out hope for Jhay.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

@OP please edit this into the post as im sure there are many willing donators in this (when it counts) wonderful community.

8 years ago | Likes 39 Dislikes 0

Yes definitely @OP

8 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

Excuse my ignorance, but why does he wear goggles?

8 years ago | Likes 702 Dislikes 2

I wondered also.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Because he hasn't earned his Ninja headband yet.

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

He kinda looks badass like a superhero with them on though

8 years ago | Likes 96 Dislikes 0

Or Ed from Cowboy Bebop!

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Likely moisture goggles to help manage ocular surface complications and reduce exposure while the immune system is reduced.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Riddick cosplay

8 years ago | Likes 95 Dislikes 12

Holy shit, baggin on the guy, not sure wether mad props or be mad.

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

@ OP - no offence at all, and thank you for the post.

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

riddick wasn't such a badass tho

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

His name's spelled Jhaysonn and you're wondering about the goggles?!

8 years ago | Likes 42 Dislikes 4

This is what happens when doctors can only spell phonetically & they ask the panting, exhausted mother what his name will be: "Juh-hays-onn"

8 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah seriously, I missed the biggest concern didn't I.

8 years ago | Likes 14 Dislikes 0

That's what gave him cancer. Apologies for my humor.

8 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 10

8 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

GvHD commonly has severe complications with the eyes. Much higher risk for infection, irritation, dry eyes, ulcers, and all sorts of things>

8 years ago | Likes 663 Dislikes 1

Thank you

8 years ago | Likes 47 Dislikes 0

excuse my ignorance this time - what is GvHD?

8 years ago | Likes 42 Dislikes 0

Graft vs. Host disease.

8 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

nevermind - just googled. poor guy.

8 years ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

Donor white blood cells recognize him as different and attack his body, very high mortality in severe cases.

8 years ago | Likes 42 Dislikes 0

what is the incidence rate with bone marrow transplants, is it common?

8 years ago | Likes 20 Dislikes 0

Reports vary, but chronic GvHD happens in around 40% of allogenic hematopoietic cell transplants, which he likely had.

8 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 0

So I’m guessing he had them to protect his vision as much as possible for as long as possible.

8 years ago | Likes 195 Dislikes 0

Reading this reality made me feel so nauseous..

8 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Yeah, sadly there are many diseases we just don’t have the ability to treat well.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I’m more upset by the fact that gene therapy *could* help but “his insurance doesn’t cover it.” People dying because money < life.

8 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0