Help Jon Heal from Brain Injury.
*Cancer survivor battling post-concussion syndrome needs support for life-changing treatment not covered by insurance.
Hi, I’m Jon — a 29-year-old outdoor athlete, cancer survivor, and full-time outdoor industry employee in Salt Lake City.
In 2021, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lymphoma. I underwent months of inpatient chemotherapy that left me physically and mentally wrecked. I survived — and am still cancer-free — but the battle didn’t end there.
As I pushed to regain my strength, a series of mild head injuries (including one from simply bumping my head on my Jeep’s roll cage) led to what I now live with every day: Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome (PPCS).
My symptoms include:
24/7 tinnitus
Ocular motor deficits and blurred vision
Severe insomnia and chronic fatigue
Sensitivity to light, sound, and physical movement
Emotional numbness, brain fog, and dissociation
Even light exertion like a short bike ride can cause multi-day setbacks. A single jump into a river last summer triggered a crash that I still haven’t recovered from. The worst part? These symptoms are invisible. To the outside world, I look fine. But inside, I’ve been fighting for my life — again.
What makes my recovery even harder is that my body doesn’t heal the same way since chemotherapy. My immune system and cellular energy production were both affected, making every injury slower to resolve and far more complex to treat.
After years of slow, frustrating progress, my doctors now believe the root of my condition is mitochondrial dysfunction caused by both chemotherapy and repeated head trauma. The most promising path forward includes a combination of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), the latest supervised physical therapy, a very slow gradual return to exercise, and metabolic support to stimulate neurological healing. I’ve already spent thousands of dollars out-of-pocket on advanced diagnostic scans like MRIs and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) just to understand the scope of my injury.
Now, I need help to take the next step. HBOT can be life-changing — improving oxygenation, reducing inflammation, and supporting the brain’s ability to heal — but it’s not covered by insurance. For the level of injury I’ve sustained, I need 80–120 sessions at a total cost I can’t manage on my own.
I’m asking for donations to help fund this critical therapy and support other out-of-pocket treatment expenses.
Every donation brings me closer to getting my life back — to being present in my relationship, performing well at work, and hopefully returning to the active outdoor life that once grounded me.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Whether you donate, share, or simply offer words of encouragement — it truly means the world.
With deep gratitude,
Jon
