Alberta firefighter accepted into clinical trial for cancer patients
Posted Jan 9, 2016 4:11 pm.
Last Updated Jan 9, 2016 4:41 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
There’s a major break coming for an Alberta firefighter in the battle of his life.
Bo Cooper is a 26-year-old from from the Fort McMurray fire department who is in his third round against acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
His treatment has taken him from Calgary to the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he’s been accepted in a clinical trial for Car T-Cell therapy.
Cooper’s fight has gained nation-wide attention, with donations pouring into his old fire hall and through an online GoFundMe page set up to help with medical and travel expenses, including those for his family.
In the latest update, the family said the Discovery Channel asked for Cooper’s permission to follow and film his treatment for a six-part series on ground-breaking physicians, featuring his doctor. The Institute said it would cover “the lion’s share” of the treatment, but it’s not clear exactly how much that is.
Long-time friend and co-worker Cpt. Rob Van Hecke is spearheading the Bo Cooper Leukemia Treatment Fund which has raised almost $600,000 to date. Van Hecke said there is a brotherly bond within the crew, and they’re always watching for any developements on Cooper’s condition.
“Bo is such a possible person person and a positive spirit and we get messages back from the family, and I think it just reignites everybody every time they hear how Bo is doing, or a personal message that he sends to us. It just keeps everybody wanting to fight and work even harder just to help him out as much as possible,” Van Hecke said.
The Alberta government does not cover the costs of the therapy because it’s considered experimental.
Van Hecke added expenses have been mounting for Cooper’s parents lately, especially because the weak loonie isn’t stretching far for Cooper’s parents, who are staying in Maryland. They also plan to use the donations to pay for other unfunded trials that may be necessary.
