At just 17, Joscelyne was poised for a future filled with promise. Excelling academically with straight A’s in all exams and earning accolades in dance, including her Gold Duke of Edinburgh, she had secured unconditional offers from five prestigious universities in Scotland to pursue Astrophysics.

However, amidst this brightness, a shadow emerged. On the day of her school prom, it was noticed she had a blown pupil. The optician's initial thought was an infection, however, severe double vision followed and in August she was admitted to Ninewells in Dundee where she was diagnosed with a rare schwannoma tumour.

Despite this, Joscelyne started at Edinburgh University, qualified for the competitive dance team to represent the University Nationally as well as playing rugby, thereby continuing her sporting passions.

We still wonder how she managed to catch the ball or perform her amazing dance routines with severe double vision, but Joscelyne is no quitter!

November 25th brought devastating news; the tumour had unexpectedly grown, necessitating brain surgery. Our wonderful consultant neurosurgeon was faced with an extremely challenging operation given the tumour was wrapped around her carotid artery, travelling along her 3rd ocular nerve to her brain stem...a place that at one point was called by surgeons ‘no man’s land’.

Despite the complexity of the operation, the surgery was a success in that the tumour was partially removed and Joscelyne emerged resilient, albeit with challenges to overcome. Joscelyne lost the muscle function in her left eye, which no longer opened and she had to relearn basic functions such as speaking, reading, and writing again.

It must have been so difficult not being able to communicate, although she still found a way to say she thought she was going to die, which unfortunately came extremely close 4 days post-surgery.

However, Joscelyne being Joscelyne continued smiling, which became her nickname in the hospital as she won everyone’s hearts!

Then, a devastating blow. 2 weeks post-surgery, on the 20th of December 2023, Joscelyne got the worst news possible. She was told she had stage 4 brain cancer and would likely have between 12-18 months to live.

How do you process this?...Joscelynes way is obviously by being an amazing, strong young adult, protecting those she loves and determined to get back to university as soon as possible!!

When asked if she wanted a year out to recover and for treatment, her response was ‘if I don’t have long to live, I best not waste any time!’....certainly not your normal 18 year old!

Treatment for e-GBM or A-PXA is extremely limited and she started 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy and chemotherapy in January 2024, but hey, the oncologist said Joscelyne wouldn’t lose her hair so she was happy!!

You will notice a pattern here, Joscelyne is a beacon of positivity that can’t be put into words. While having this treatment, she pushed herself to regain her speech and processing functions while studying at home to continue her degree.

Fast forward to now (April 2024), unfortunately, neither the chemotherapy or radiotherapy worked and Joscelyne is now on targeted treatment with the hope we can slow the growth and buy us as much time as possible. She is back studying full-time at university, soaking up student life and completing her next stage of 6-month treatment.

So what is next?

Enter DCVLax, a beacon of hope. This breakthrough development drug has been in clinical trials since 2016 and creates a personalised antibody against the tumour. This offers a form of immunotherapy that is able to penetrate through the Blood Brain Barrier and has the potential to combat Joscelyne's tumour.

It is her hope!

With her infectious positive spirit, Joscelyne’s life moto has always been "Go Big or Go Home," epitomising her determination to secure the funds needed for her treatment.

Your contribution, no matter the size, fuels Joscelyne's fight, enabling her to pursue her dreams and perhaps inspire others along the way.

If you're employed, consider exploring your company's matching gift program to amplify your impact.

Given the rarity of Joscelynes diagnosis, other treatment options continue to be explored. In the event that funds exceed Joscelyne's needs, rest assured they will be directed towards furthering research for brain tumour treatments in young adults.

In closing, there are no words that can sum up how amazingly brave and positive our Joscelyne is and no words of thanks can truly convey our gratitude for reading this and where able, your donation.

Together, we stand united in our mission to uplift Joscelyne and countless others facing similar battles.

Thank you,

From the Kerr Family