Sudbury woman chooses alternative treatments for stage 4 cancer – CBC.ca

A Sudbury woman is choosing to go the all-natural routein hopes ofhealing her stage 4 cancer.

Thousands of dollars in donations have already poured in to help her achievethat.

Jazmin Ayotte,20, is aLaurentian University student, who was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma when she was 16. Thisisa rare type of cancer which ended up spreading to Ayotte's lungs and one of her kidneys.

Ayotte says she was adamant from the beginning that she wanted to take a natural approach to deal with her cancer.

"Up until this day, I've never tried chemotherapy," she says.

Ayotte says she's tried "western medicine,"but all of those made her feel worse. Instead, she tried changing her diet andintravenous vitamins. Sheeven travelledto Mexico and the Bahamas for naturopathic treatments.

"I go to school, but it's on and off, or I'll take a semester off depending on how I'm feeling. Day to day, I deal with pain quite a bit."

The natural treatments seemed to help manage thepainuntil recently.

"I was in the hospital for a week. I was rushed in with extreme pain, and nothing could manage it," Ayottesays.

"That sparked us to research new treatments and get in touch with new doctors."

Jazmin Ayotte was diagnosed with stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma when she was 16. (Jazmin Ayotte)

Ayotte says her family found a naturopathic treatment centre in Scottsdale, Arizona that seemspromising.

Initial genetic testingwill cost more than $30,000. After that,continued treatment and supplements will costapproximately $1,000 per month.

Treatment prices weren't immediately available on the facility'swebsite, but an initial office visit costs between $350 and$700.

Although she says she isn't exactly sure what the therapies entail, Ayotteis under the impression they include heat, laser and magnetic therapies whichfocus on improving the patient's immune system.

Ayotte says she doesn't advocate against chemotherapy. She just doesn't believe it would work for her.

"[My doctors] have given me options for palliative radiation, but that's not killing the cancer, that's dealing with the pain and other things," Ayotte says.

"I don't feel comfortable going through with that when I already have in mind that it would kill my immune system, make me feel horrible, not let me have a life at all, andnot really treat it the way I hope to be treated."

Because alternativetreatments in the United States aren't covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan,Ayotteand her family have started reaching out to others with fundraising initiatives.

Ayotte's fianc Eythan Henson started a social media trend called 'Burpees for Jaz.'The idea is to post a video of yourself doing theexercise,then tag the family's GoFundMe page.Thepage has already raised $15,000.

Superior Maple Syrup, owned by Henson'sfamily, is raising money from the sale of some of theproducts.

A stag and doe is being held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.,later this month, with all proceeds going toward Ayotte's treatment.

Lauren Nykilchuk is selling these T-shirts in support of Jazmin Ayotte's trip to the United States for alternative treatments. (Supplied/Facebook)

A friend from high school wanted to help outtoo. LaurenNykilchuk had T-shirts left over from a school project, and isselling themwith some of the profits going to Ayotte'strip.

There's already been a widespread response to the shirts.

"It's definitely not just sticking to Sudbury,"Nykilchuksays.

"I can't put down my phone for fiveminutes without getting multiple messages about people wanting to buy shirts, asking questions about the shirts and about Jazmin. It's probably the greatest problem inthe world to have, seeing howmany people have come together and want to support this cause."

Ayotte and her mother leave for Arizona next week. She says her doctors in Canada have been skeptical of her choices, but she feels they support her in this next trip.

"Ideally, I want to be cancer free," she says.

"But I hope it gets me tobe at a point where I don't have to be on painkillers all the time, and be where Ican go to school and commit to other things where I don't have to be held back because of pain."

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Sudbury woman chooses alternative treatments for stage 4 cancer - CBC.ca