The Givealittle managed to raise $29,917 in 11 weeks but the news that Jason’s condition had worsened meant the purpose of the money had also shifted.
“We were doing pretty well and we were on track for the non-funded stuff and then he started to get lost and didn’t know certain things.”
Ashdown said the change in his personality around September 19 when he couldn’t remember attending Race for Life in Auckland ultimately led to scans of his body and brain that revealed news the family had feared.
When she asked the doctors this time for his life expectancy she was told “there is nothing we can do”.
“She used to give us six months or a year and I asked her and all she said was he is going to go quick.”
She said they were also informed that Jason would be prone to having seizures which has left her constantly on edge and aware of any telltale symptoms.
“You are waiting for that s*** so it’s really hard.”
“He looks good but he has lots of different stuff happening and it is waiting for something to come that you never wanted to come.”
Ashdown said now her youngest son understood that he needed to be gentle around his father and her son Mike, who battled and beat an aggressive brain and spine cancer called medulloblastoma, watched over his dad to ensure he was still breathing.
“He won’t sleep for 24 hours at times because he is watching his dad.”
Ashdown said she spent her days at their Havelock North home ensuring Jason had access to whatever he required to live comfortably.
“We have tried a few medicinal things and spending quite a lot of money on the non-funded stuff like oils, so he is not in pain and relying on medication.”
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 loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.
