Dear Friends, Acquaintances, and Network,

My name is David. I am writing to you today to seek help for my dear friend who is battling cancer. Not long ago, my friend and his partner were living the typical life of thirty-year-olds: work, home, travel, and making plans for the future. Unfortunately, everything changed in June 2023 when my friend decided to undergo routine tests. After a series of diagnostic tests, it was revealed that he has pancreatic cancer with liver metastases. The diagnosis was a huge shock to us, as he had not experienced any serious health issues before.

Since then, his life has changed completely. Although he tries to live as he used to, his priorities and everyday concerns are entirely different. Instead of enjoying everyday life, his days are now filled with chemotherapy sessions and searching for help from doctors and specialists worldwide. Unfortunately, in Latvia, where my friend is a citizen, the treatment options are very limited.

Despite losing over 30 kg and dealing with numerous side effects from chemotherapy, my friend remains hopeful and doesn't give up. Between chemotherapy cycles, he continues to work – he is a surgeon himself. In February this year, a ray of hope appeared: a renowned surgeon from a clinic in Portugal, specializing in complex cases of pancreatic cancer, offered to perform surgery. The cost was estimated at 58,000 euros. Unfortunately, during this time, the cancer became resistant to the current chemotherapy, leading to local progression. The surgery was postponed, and doctors recommended changing the chemotherapy regimen. The new therapy temporarily halted the progression of the disease, but over the past two months, the tumor markers have begun to rise again, suggesting that this therapy is also losing its effectiveness.

Oncologists in Poland and Germany have recommended experimental targeted therapy with the drug Lumykras due to the presence of a rare KRAS G12C mutation in my friend (found in 1-2% of pancreatic cancer patients). Doctors believe that this therapy could yield positive results and open the door to further treatment options. We are also currently consulting with clinics about the possibility of advanced radiotherapy and ablation, which could be the next steps in fighting the disease.

The cost of treatment with Lumykras in Poland is 17,000 PLN per month, while in Latvia, it is 10,000 euros. Additionally, the cost of radiotherapy has been preliminarily estimated at 10,000 euros per cycle. So far, we have been covering all the costs of non-reimbursed treatments, tests, consultations, medications, and supplements ourselves. However, due to the rising expenses and the length of the treatment, we are forced to seek support from all who can help us in this uneven and unexpected fight. We want to allocate the collected funds to cover the expenses related to my friend's treatment. The amount we aim to raise may also change, as we do not know how the situation will develop. Any assistance, whether financial or emotional, is of great importance to us.

We sincerely thank you for every donation and for sharing our appeal on social media. Every bit of help means a great deal to us.

David