Video Diary: Kurt Brunton has his T-Cells harvested. Video supplied / Kurt Brunton
A terminally ill New Zealand father has begun his radical treatment for an aggressive cancer after travelling to the United States for what he hopes will be a lifesaving operation.
"I'm not going to lie - it's been a really tough week as he hasn't been able to take any drugs leading up to the apheresis and he's done it very tough," Janelle said on social media this morning.
She said it was hard not being there to support her husband, though she planned to join him in two weeks, when the reintroduction of the cells was likely to begin.
"Now we wait ... and hopefully keep Kurt as stable and comfortable as possible," she said.
The operation was expected to take up to six weeks in total.
At last count, $200,000 had been raised through fundraising page Givealittle towards Kurt's treatment.
Immunotherapy is not available in New Zealand, though clinical trials are expected soon.
Some medical experts believe it could save up to 70 lives a year, though others warn that the outcomes of the treatment are uncertain and can take terminally ill people away from their support networks at the end of their lives.
