As shared by his mother Mary.
On December 19, 2013, Josh’s entire world changed in an instant. What was supposed to be a typical eye appointment turned into one of the most life-changing and life-threatening appointments of Josh’s life. During an eye exam, the optometrist who examined Josh became very concerned with the amount of pressure behind his eyes and recommended that he go immediately to the emergency room. Testing ultimately revealed a softball-sized tumor, and Josh underwent surgery to remove as much of the mass as possible. The pathology results showed that Josh had grade IV glioblastoma – a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer. His prognosis was 6 months.
Josh was initially given 6 months to live, but with the help of clinical trials and research developments with new treatments, he lived for 6 more years.
Josh spent 3 weeks in the hospital recovering from brain surgery. During this time, he had to learn how to walk and perform basic daily living skills all over again so that he could qualify for a clinical trial. The goal was 70% on the Karnofsky Scale, a numerical score that helps health care professionals assess a patient’s functional status. Scores above 70% suggest a patient is able to care for themselves independently, and that was the minimum requirement to qualify for the clinical trial. Josh met that goal working twice a day with PT/OT while in the hospital.
Josh started a clinical trial on January 27, 2014, knowing it was his best shot given his diagnosis. He then began the standard protocol of chemotherapy and radiation on the 8th day of Plexxikon (the trial drug) and continued for 6 weeks. Josh continued to take the trial drug & stayed in the clinical trial until September 2014 – already outshining his initial 6-month prognosis. Each month from April until September 2014, Josh flew to the University of Washington Hospital for blood work, scans, and a meeting with the trial doctor, before a tumor recurrence ended his time in the trial protocol. He continued to receive newer treatments and immunotherapies.
Josh is the middle of seven kids, and the treatments and access to care & advancements gave him six more years beyond his initial prognosis, precious time with his siblings and parents.