But when she watched her 21-year-old son “trying to get loans to keep his dad alive”, and thought about what it would mean to their 3-year-old to have Hooker around to see him start school, she decided she had to give it a go.
The cancer had spread to his lungs, spine, brain and into his mouth.
In 2023 Ashdown told Hawke’s Bay Today that Jason’s radiation treatment and hypnotherapy had not been effective and he was left in excruciating pain, unable to sleep or stand.
Ashdown said they explored several options for treatment to improve his quality of life, all of which were costly, and eventually settled on Encorafenib and Binimetinib therapy.
Jason Hooker and Kylie Ashdown are needing to fundraise $100,000 for cancer treatment to extend his life for two years.
Within the first six weeks, the treatment stopped working and the family found themselves with few options left as Jason’s health declined.
“You could see they weren’t working because the lumps were coming up everywhere over his body and that’s what happened when we first found out.”
Jason’s last chance is another non-funded drug called Ipilimumab taken in conjunction with Keytruda.
“It’s $100,000 to get the four treatments you need to boost the Keytruda for it to have a chance to work,” Ashdown said.
Jason started another round of Keytruda on Wednesday, September 11, and Ashdown said within the first two treatments, doctors could tell if it was helping – but that alone would not be enough.
It is hoped if they can raise enough money, the Ipilimumab would help reduce his tumours and allow him to extend his life expectancy by two years.
“This will be the second and last time to try and get any help.”
Terminally Ill Jason Hooker with son Edward who he hopes to see start primary school.
Ashdown said their goal was to enable Jason to live long enough to witness his 3-year-old child Edward start primary school.
“It’s always in the back of my mind about how old his boy will be when I have to explain why his dad is not here.”
Ashdown described Jason as an amazing father who was “the soft one” on the kids, always willing to go above and beyond for them when needed.
She said even being able to afford one round of Ipilimumab would mean the world to all of them, but acknowledged it was a difficult time to be asking for donations.
“Money for life is hard, that’s what it comes down to. But you have to try – you can’t not try anything.”
“You have a hate for it because you can’t as a human being take away cancer from anyone or make them better – there is nothing you can blame for it,” Ashdown said.
Jason Hooker's terminal diagnosis came just months after son Mikes was cleared of cancer. Photo / Warren Buckland
She said Mikes had looked into finding a way to help pay for his father’s treatment – something Ashdown said no son should ever have to do.
“My 21-year-old was trying to get loans to keep his dad alive and that’s pretty hard.”
Ashdown’s sister has set up a Givealittle in the hope they could reach their fundraising target, which had reached $870 as of 10.45am Thursday.
“We have always known there is an end game which is very scary for everyone involved, but this is final, this is why this one is the most important more than anything.
Ashdown said she and her family would do everything they could to raise the money to support Jason’s battle.
“If I didn’t try, I would have regrets and no one wants to have regrets in this situation.”
Donations for Jason Hooker’s treatment can be made to the Givealittle page.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
