Hamilton family makes desperate plea to the province to help save son’s life

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A Hamilton family is making a desperate plea to the province to help pay for their son’s cancer treatment.

Back in January, Justin Masotti was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called Gliomatosis cerebri.

After suffering two seizures in June, Justin lost his eyesight. His health continued to deteriorate and the 17-year-old was left bed-ridden.

Justin’s father Mike says he was told prepare for his son to die. “It was all negative, they couldn’t offer us anything to try and save his life.”

The family started looking for alternative options and found a clinic in Mexico that was providing an experimental treatment called DMSO therapy. It’s a treatment that is not covered by OHIP.

They paid for an air ambulance to transport Justin and his father to the Immunity Therapy Centre in Tijuana, Mexico and have been paying $13,000 per week for his treatment.

Mike says they have taken out a $200,000 line of credit and will stay at the clinic until the money runs out because they have seen improvements in Justin since he has been receiving the treatment.

The family is asking for the government to step in and help fund a portion of Justin’s treatment. Mike says “If they can’t provide this kind of treatment in Canada, or in Ontario…than they have an obligation to pay for it down here.”

The provincial Ministry of Health and Long-term Care sent a statement to the Masotti family saying the treatment is not covered because it is experimental and in order for a funding decision to be made, there has to be “published evidence” of a treatments success.

Fighting to hold back tears, Mike told CHCH “I don’t want to run out of money. I don’t want him to die.”

“If we go back home, Justin will die.”

The family has also set-up a GoFundMe page they are planning a fundrasier on Saturday, November 26th at 7pm, at St. Gregory the Great church on 125 Centennial parkway Hamilton.