UPDATE: 23RD FEBRUARY 2024

Hello you wonderful lot.

We would like to start by saying a big massive thank you to every single one of you for paying, playing & praying with us. The support & love we, as a family, have received has been so overwhelming.

Vance’s chemotherapy and radiotherapy has shrunk the tumour slightly but unfortunately he can not have any more treatments under the NHS.

However, your money has meant we could seek private treatment. Shortly after Vance’s diagnosis, we saw a private Oncologist who was treating him with alternative medicines. Sadly, these came with nasty side effects which meant he had to stop them. We then tried medication from the States which turned him in to a bit of a zombie so we had to stop that too.

We have been researching lots of different treatments and the one we’ve decided to explore is immunotherapy (dendritic cell). Immunotherapy is available on the NHS but unfortunately not for the type of cancer Vance has. This will cost £41,000 for 6 months and treatment starts next week!

So we would like to say thank you again for enabling him to try all these options. We will keep you all posted on here & see how this new treatment goes!

Much love and fingers crossed for this incredible brave strong minded man. 🙏🤞🏼🙏🤞🏼🙏🤞🏼🙏

UPDATE: 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023

To all our wonderful friends and family,

First of all THANK YOU ALL, for your continued support, heart-warming messages and positivity throughout our journey so far.

Vance and I are so overwhelmed from the outpouring of love since his diagnosis and many of you are asking how he is doing, so I thought I would update you all on his progress on here.

Since Vance’s diagnosis, we have reached out far and wide in the hope of finding ultimately a cure, but at the very least some form of treatment that will enable him to continue living his best life!

We have consulted with various consultants and health care professionals and chosen treatments alongside the NHS treatments (which is considered to be ‘Gold Standard’ and includes radio and chemotherapy).

Vance is over halfway through his radiotherapy and over 2 weeks into taking chemotherapy. He is tolerating both of these better than we could have imagined and dare I say, we are already noticing an improvement, in his speech and general functionality. It actually feels we are getting the old Vance back, which is amazing! We know there is a long road ahead, but we are so grateful for being able to fund the extra private treatments Vance is taking (one great drug sent from the USA which has had profound effects on reducing brain tumours).

We were fortunate to be able to enjoy the most special and memorable celebration last weekend. Vance’s Son Jacob decided to bring his wedding day forward and chose his Dad to be his best man. I cannot put into words how special that was for all of us, and although there were many tears, most were due to laughter, and happiness, feeling so blessed to be able to share this momentous occasion with Jacob, his beautiful wife Charlotte and all our family.

When I suggested we posted a photo from this day, to share this with you all, Vance’s response was, “are you sure they wouldn’t prefer a naughty one”! He still has his great sense of humour, is as cheeky as ever and is continuing this journey with positivity and strength that symbolises what a true warrior he is.

Vance and I send you all so much love and are forever grateful for each and every one of you.

God Bless you all.

Tasha.

Xxx xxx xxx

UPDATE: 16TH AUGUST 2023

Vance and Tasha would like to thank each and everyone of you again for the overwhelming amount of support and love that has been pouring in. There are no words to express the gratitude the whole family feels and without you, we would not have been able to able to explore all the avenues we have been down these past 2 weeks. We have also been contacted by some amazing people, who have been through a similar experience and have shared their success stories with us. Believe me when I say, we have followed up each and every one of them and are so grateful to you all for taking the time to reach out to us.

The latest news is that Vance had his first oncology appointment this morning. The results from the tumour biopsy confirmed that Vance has a diffuse midline glioma (previously named DIPG). It is very rare in adults and mainly affects young children and is a lethal, high grade brain tumour and the prognosis remains poor in the UK. However, Vance is not phased or despondent and he is adamant that he is strong enough to fight this.

One of the wonderful people who reached out to us was diagnosed with a glioblastoma 5 years ago. She was aged 25 years old at the time. She went through radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which unfortunately did not alter her prognosis and when her treatment had finished she was told there was nothing else that could be done. Like Vance, she was and I'm happy to say, still is, an absolute warrior. She refused to accept her fate and decided to do her own research into treatment for this type of tumour. She defeated all odds and now, 5 years later, her tumour has reduced to almost nothing, she is engaged to be married and is still fighting and winning this battle.

Thanks to your kindness and generosity, we have been able to have consultations with all the specialists that came up with the treatment plan that has actually saved her life! We are due to have medication from the USA delivered any day now and Vance will start on this course of treatment for 3 months as well as starting chemotherapy in one weeks' time and radiotherapy in around four weeks' time. Vance is so positive, in mind and spirit, he has hope, he has faith and he has all of you wonderful people fighting his corner. There are honestly no words that can express our gratitude.

Unfortunately Tasha and Vance are unable to respond to all the numerous messages they are both receiving as they would be messaging back all day long, but they would like you to know, they are reading them all, are so appreciative and send you their utmost love and thanks.

I will keep you all updated on here as I know everyone is so worried and want to know how Vance is getting on, so in Vance's own words, "I feel great, I am humbled, I am blessed".

God bless you all.

Julie (Vance's sister) xxx

UPDATE:

Hi everyone, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Julie, Vance’s sister.

I am taking over this donation page from Tasha due to the latest developments with Vance’s health. She is focusing her time and attention on Vance now and it is her wish that I write this update and share with everyone who has kindly donated to our cause.

It with deep sadness that on Saturday, our hearts were shattered. We had a consultation with the top brain surgeon who had by this time received 2 x MRI results of Vance’s brain. As you are all aware, we were holding onto all hope that Vance could receive some form of treatment (this surgeon is a clinical director for Neuroscience at King’s hospital and was awarded the Norman Dott Gold Medal in Neurosurgery, so we found the absolute best).

Prior to this consultation we were told that if he could operate then this would be done within 7 days, hence the just giving page being created, we needed to raise this money quickly to enable Vance to have life saving surgery. My family and I are devastated to say that unfortunately due to the invasive nature of this tumour, this is not an option.

Vance is a fighter, he is strong, strong in body and still strong in mind. He does not want to give up on life and we, as his family are not going to give up on him. We have contacted centres in America, Sweden and Prague and seeing if there are any alternative therapies out there that can help in any way whatsoever, any extra time we have, no matter what that might be, is time to spend with this wonderful man.

The money that has been raised so far and in such little time has literally been so overwhelming, and a testament to how many people love Vance. Sadly this money cannot provide a cure, it can however continue fund the consultations we are continuing to have and give Vance and Tasha the opportunity to make whatever time is left, the absolute best it can be, doing whatever it is that brings a smile and happiness to them and of course, everlasting memories.

This fund was originally set up to fund an operation, and as this can no longer happen, Tasha wants anyone who wishes to withdraw their donation to contact me. I don’t think that will be the case but Tasha wants this to be an option for you all, given that circumstances have now changed.

Lastly, Vance wants to thank each and everyone one of you from the bottom of his heart. He has been touched, feels immense gratitude and is totally humbled by this enormous outpouring of love and support. He said to tell you he loves you all and you have given him unmeasurable strength and a renewed faith in humanity.

We might not be able to save Vance, but my God, we are going to treasure every single moment we have left with this wonderful, unique, brave, lovable, crazy and funniest human being.

Thank you ALL for everything you have done already and continue to do.

With love and gratitude,

Julie

xxx

Hi everyone who knows our family and the other wonderful people out there who might like to help. My name is Tasha and I am Vance's wife. My family and I have made the decision to reach out on here and appeal to all of you that know and love Vance to help us in a desperate situation.

Devastatingly Vance was diagnosed with a Primary Stage 4, malignant brain tumour last week. The tumour is very large, aggressive and situated in the very middle of his brain. Unfortunately, the NHS brain surgeon cannot offer a surgical procedure, due to where the tumour is located, and unless we can remove some of this tumour, Vance’s life will be at risk.

After discovering this shocking news, we, as a family have researched everything, praying that we can find someone who can offer us some hope. We have found that person. A brain surgeon who can perform a revolutionary treatment on brain tumours that are otherwise inaccessible. He is the only brain surgeon in Europe qualified to use this technique and he has told us he is able to operate to reduce the tumour size and this will extend Vance’s life. Any amount of extra time we all get to spend with this wonderful man is a bonus, we need to make more memories, share more laughs and have tonnes more cuddles.

The cost of this treatment and covering all other expenses will be in excess of £40k, hence why we are reaching out to you. Vance is a bit of an icon in Peacehaven, having worked in the local barbers for over 30 years. I have also had the privilege of working by my husband’s side, and throughout our careers we both treasure the relationships we have built, our regular customers becoming life long friends.

Many of you have been in contact and have asked when Vance will be returning to work. It's with huge sadness that due to Vance's illness, he will be unable to continue doing his much loved job. We are currently trying to sell the shop in order to help fund Vance's treatment and continue to afford to live. Vance would like me to thank each and every one of his loyal customers for sticking by him all these years and to say that he values each and every one of you. His career has been the most rewarding he could have ever wished for and that is all down to you, his customers turned friends.

I know how much Vance is loved, not just by me and our family, but also by the many of you who have known Vance for so long, his customers who have shared their life stories whilst sitting in the barber’s chair, laughed together and yes, even sometimes cried together. Vance is the best human I know, the kindest man, the most gentle soul and the funniest and wittiest person you will ever meet and he is my very best friend, companion and soul mate. Even now, in the face of adversity, he is continuing to make us all laugh and his strength and determination is keeping us all positive, hopeful and desperate to keep him here with us all.

I don’t want to be here, pleading for money from our friends and family and any other wonderful people out there who are touched by this story. However, it is on friends insistence that people will want to help and encouraged me to do this, so this is why I am starting this Just Giving page.

Any donation, no matter how small will help. I appreciate many people too are struggling and I don’t expect anything off anyone, but if you can donate then please, please do, and know how much we as a family appreciate your kindness, your thoughts, your prayers and your love during this time.

We’ve got to try anything we can to save this wonderful human being, our Vance, our hero, our everything.

God bless you all.

Tasha

XXX XXX XXX