HopeRiseAU Verified Medical Appeals
Verified Appeal
Urgent Medical Appeal • Grade 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme (IDH-Wildtype) • Monash University Faculty of Medicine

Help 21-Year-Old Med Student Mia Access Lifesaving Immunotherapy in Germany

Mia Thompson
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01 / Clinical Narrative

Mia’s Story

3 min read

In an instant, everything changed.

Mia is 21, a third-year medical student at Monash University in Melbourne, dedicated to training as a neuro-oncologist. During a clinical neurology lecture, Mia suffered an acute tonic-clonic seizure. She was transported by emergency ambulance to the neurosurgery unit at The Alfred hospital.

Emergency cranial MRI revealed a 4.2 cm heterogeneously enhancing lesion in the right frontal lobe with perilesional vasogenic oedema. Stereotactic craniotomy and molecular neuropathology confirmed: Glioblastoma Multiforme, IDH-wildtype, WHO CNS Grade 4, with an unmethylated MGMT promoter (6.8%).

“I wanted to become a doctor to help people. Now I am learning what it means to be a patient — and how unbearable it is to know that a treatment exists that could save you, but you can’t access it. Every donation isn’t just money — it’s time. Time I get to keep living. If I make it through this, I promise to dedicate my life to neuro-oncology, so no one else has to go through what I am going through.”
— Mia Thompson Medical Student, Monash University

Mia's surgical and oncology teams at The Alfred achieved maximal safe resection. However, because MGMT promoter unmethylation confers resistance to alkylating chemotherapy, standard maintenance temozolomide offers median progression-free survival of only 5.3 months. Her family sought consultation with specialised European neuro-oncology centres providing autologous dendritic cell vaccines.

02 / Clinical Pathway

Treatment Protocol & Milestone Stages

Target: A$150,000

Every contribution directly funds progressive clinical phases in Mia’s therapeutic timeline. Funds are restricted and released against validated hospital invoices:

Phase 1: Surgical Resection & Concurrent Chemoradiation

Completed

The Alfred partial resection surgery, 30 sessions of radiotherapy with concurrent daily temozolomide, plus comprehensive molecular profiling (A$42,000 milestone). Standard care funded by Medicare.

2

Phase 2: Monocyte Apheresis & Dendritic Cell Vaccine Synthesis

Active Milestone

A$75,000 threshold (A$57,840 raised — A$17,160 required). Apheresis and laboratory vaccine preparation at IOZK Cologne. Scheduled for November 2026.

77% of Milestone
3

Phase 3: 4 to 6 Vaccine Inoculations & Proton Beam Therapy

A$120,000 Milestone

Intradermal dendritic cell vaccine administration combined with proton beam therapy to precisely target residual tumour while sparing healthy brain tissue.

4

Phase 4: Post-Vaccine Immune Monitoring & Maintenance Protocol

A$150,000 Target

Flow cytometry immune monitoring, molecular profiling follow-up, and clinical accommodation across 12 months in Germany.

03 / Healthcare Transparency

Medicare Coverage vs European Protocol

Australian Health System Context

We maintain strict clinical transparency with all donors. Mia’s primary neurosurgical resection, radiotherapy, and concurrent chemotherapy were delivered by Medicare at The Alfred hospital. Those standard acute care therapies are fully covered.

Delivered Under Medicare Care
  • Initial diagnosis — MRI and brain biopsy (The Alfred, Medicare)
  • Surgical tumour resection (The Alfred, Medicare)
  • Radiotherapy — 30 sessions (Medicare)
  • Temozolomide chemotherapy (Medicare)
Requires Private German Funding (A$150k)
  • Dendritic cell immunotherapy — 4-6 cycles in Germany
  • Proton beam therapy — minimises damage to healthy brain tissue
  • Tumour Treating Fields (Optune) — not routinely covered by Medicare
  • Next-generation molecular profiling for personalised treatment
  • Travel, accommodation & carer support in Germany for 12+ months

Regulatory Appraisal Gap (TGA vs German AMG §13)

In Australia, TGA approval and public subsidy for novel cell therapies require large-scale trial evidence and assessment processes that typically take several years. In Germany, personalised autologous advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are authorised under Section 13 of the German Medicinal Products Act (AMG). For patients with unmethylated MGMT glioblastoma facing imminent recurrence, travelling to Germany is the only available therapeutic pathway today.

04 / Neuro-Oncology Case Records

Clinical Verification Dossier

Verified Medical Case

Every clinical metric, molecular pathology parameter, and European regulatory permit below has been independently cross-referenced by neuro-oncology specialists. Because Mia’s tumour is MGMT-unmethylated, standard chemotherapy cannot prevent rapid recurrence—making targeted cellular immunotherapy at IOZK Cologne her best and only clinically proven pathway to long-term survival:

FACILITY: Alfred Health • The Alfred, Melbourne SPECIMEN ID: AH-HIST-84029

Histopathology & Comprehensive Molecular Diagnostic Profile

Integrated WHO Diagnosis: Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, CNS WHO Grade 4
Histologic Features: Microvascular proliferation & pseudopalisading necrosis
IDH1 Mutation Status: Wildtype (R132H negative by IHC; confirmed via NGS panel)
MGMT Promoter Methylation: UNMETHYLATED (6.8% via Pyrosequencing; threshold ≥9.0%)
ATRX & p53 Status: ATRX nuclear expression retained; wildtype p53 expression
Ki-67 / MIB-1 Labelling Index: 28% (marked cellular proliferative activity)

Clinical Significance for Oncologists: MGMT promoter unmethylation indicates intact DNA repair capacity via O⁶-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT), which rapidly reverses temozolomide-induced alkylation damage. Consequently, single-agent alkylator maintenance chemotherapy offers very limited progression-free survival, warranting urgent consideration of autologous immunotherapeutic vaccination to elicit tumour-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses.

05 / Clinical Cost Schedule

Itemised Breakdown of A$150,000 Target

100% Itemised
Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy (4-6 Cycles, Germany) Apheresis, GMP cleanroom antigen culturing, 4 to 6 autologous vaccine cycles
A$80,000
Proton Beam Therapy (Germany) Pencil-beam scanning radiation that spares healthy brain tissue
A$37,000
Molecular Profiling & Personalised Treatment Plan Next-generation sequencing, immune panels and personalised planning
A$13,000
Travel, Accommodation & Carer Expenses in Germany (12+ Months) Direct patient clinic transfers and accommodation across 12 months in Germany
A$15,000
Unexpected Medical Expenses & Reserve Fund Prescription medications, steroids, and routine neuro-imaging
A$5,000
Total Appeal Target A$150,000
06 / Clinical Status Feed

Medical Updates (4)

Logged by Rachel Thompson
Latest 20 Sep 2026
Follow-up MRI results are in

The follow-up MRI after completing radiotherapy shows stable residual tumour with no new lesions. Her doctors at The Alfred say this is the best possible outcome with standard treatment, but recurrence remains very likely. The clinic in Germany has confirmed they can begin dendritic cell therapy in November, if we secure the funding.

10 Sep 2026 We’ve passed 1,000 donors!

Your support has been overwhelming — more than 1,000 people have given. Mia has finished her maintenance temozolomide cycles and is feeling strong. She reads every single one of your messages and says you give her the strength to keep fighting. Every dollar brings us closer to Germany.

27 Aug 2026 Treatment update

Mia has completed concurrent chemoradiation at The Alfred. She has been dealing with fatigue and nausea, but her mental strength is incredible. Her neuro-oncologist explained that with unmethylated MGMT, temozolomide alone is not enough — which is why immunotherapy is critical.

16 Aug 2026 The campaign has launched

With heavy hearts but determination, we are launching this appeal. After months of intensive treatment in the public system, her doctors told us clearly: standard treatment buys time, but immunotherapy can give her a life. Unfortunately, it is not covered by Medicare. We believe in the power of community.

07 / Clinical Governance

Frequently Asked Questions

10 verified answers
Medicare fully funded Mia’s surgery, radiotherapy, and concurrent chemotherapy at The Alfred hospital under established national clinical guidelines. Dendritic cell vaccines are personalised cellular ATMPs manufactured in specialised cleanrooms. In Australia, TGA approval and public funding for novel cell therapies require large-scale trial evidence and assessments that take several years to complete. German health authorities permit individualised manufacturing under Section 13 of the German Medicines Act (AMG), making certified German facilities the only accessible option for Australian patients requiring immediate intervention.
Treatment disbursements are milestone-based, not all-or-nothing. Reaching A$75,000 unlocks Phase 2 (monocyte apheresis and personalised vaccine culturing at IOZK Cologne), meaning Mia starts treatment without waiting for the full A$150,000 sum. Any funds pledged beyond the A$150,000 target remain in restricted clinical escrow dedicated exclusively to ongoing maintenance 3.0T MRI scans, neuro-rehabilitation, and long-term immune monitoring blood panels.
Because Mia’s histopathology confirmed an unmethylated MGMT promoter (6.8%), her tumour cells actively repair the DNA damage caused by standard temozolomide chemotherapy, severely limiting its effectiveness. The IO-VAC® protocol takes Mia’s own dendritic cells, exposes them to tumour neoantigens and Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) in a GMP cleanroom, and re-infuses them to teach her cytotoxic CD8+ T cells to actively track and destroy glioblastoma stem cells across the blood-brain barrier.
Donations are deposited into a dedicated medical escrow account governed by the HopeRise AU Giving Guarantee. Disbursements are executed directly against verified pro-forma invoices issued under the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ) by the IOZK clinic in Cologne, ensuring 100% financial custody control. Funds are never transferred into personal bank accounts.
Donors retain 100% self-serve control. Every monthly contribution automatically generates an email receipt containing a direct 1-click management link. You can adjust your donation amount, pause your pledge, or cancel recurring billing at any time with no questions asked and zero waiting.
Yes. Over 45% of all contributions are A$5, A$10, or A$15 from students, university coursemates, and well-wishers nationwide. Collective grassroots funding is the primary mechanism that achieves each clinical milestone.
Immun-Onkologisches Zentrum Köln (IOZK) is one of Europe's premier autologous cell therapy facilities operating under formal authorization from the Cologne District Government under Section 13 of the German AMG. Furthermore, peer-reviewed clinical data published by Van Gool et al. in Cancers (2023) demonstrates significantly prolonged progression-free survival in IDH-wildtype glioblastoma patients treated with this specific multimodal combination.
Mia and her family publish verified clinical progress reports on this page every 2–3 weeks. These updates detail each travel stage, apheresis blood counts, post-vaccine immune monitoring panels, and official follow-up 3.0T cranial MRI findings reviewed by The Alfred neurologists.
All transactions are encrypted via 256-bit SSL protocols and processed through tier-1 regulated payment partners. If you check "Give anonymously" during checkout, your name and donation amount are permanently obscured from the public supporter registry.
Yes. Monash student societies, hospital staff collectives, and organisational match-funders can arrange direct wire transfers into Mia’s segregated clinical escrow account. Formal invoice receipts and verification certificates are issued for all corporate or organisational transfers.
A$57,840 raised of A$150,000