Grammy Winning Musician Battling Brain Cancer, Friends Rally

MONTAUK, NY — A Grammy winning producer, musician, and engineer is fighting cancer — and his friends are rallying to help him through his darkest hours.

A GoFundMe, "Rick's Glioblastoma Treatment" has raised $29,850 of its $100,000 goal to help Rick DePofi, a "beloved brother to just about all who know him," the page said.

Having fought glioblastoma, a rare brain cancer, for the past year, his page states that glioblastoma is the most difficult brain cancer to treat, with a prognosis of only about a year.

"The genetic makeup of Rick's tumor is such that it is known to be even more resistant to most standard therapies covered by insurance," the page said. "His cancer is now back and he is on the last standard treatment option available. The good news is this treatment, Avastin, is helping to shrink the original tumor site."

The bad news is twofold: First, the treatment is known to be effective only temporarily.

"GBMs are wily and they figure out how to get around the treatment eventually," the page said.

Second, there is a good deal of new growth that is systemic in another part of his brain on which the Avastin is not working, so a therapy is sought that will help stop the growth and, hopefully, kill the cancer.

"Rick and his family have been researching alternative cancer centers and naturopathic cancer clinics within the United States and abroad that offer hope with statistics to back it up. They offer treatments that traditional hospitals do not perform, and have good success rates. These treatments are very expensive, and are not covered by insurance, so we are coming to you for urgent help," the page said.

And, the appeal added, "One of the many problems with GBM is that once it returns, it grows very fast. If he is going to be helped by these treatments, they must start soon. Rick has taken to comparing his situation with being in a casino. If he is to increase his odds of surviving, he needs to place as many bets as he can."

Finally, the GoFundMe said, "This is Rick's last chance to beat this disease and prolong his life. He wants to live and, like the karate master that he is, fight to live on and make more beautiful music."

To donate, click here.

Patch photo courtesy GoFundMe.