{"id":275126,"date":"2026-02-09T11:09:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T11:09:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/275126\/"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:09:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T11:09:12","slug":"nz-dad-jack-davis-beats-the-odds-after-terminal-cacner-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/275126\/","title":{"rendered":"NZ dad Jack Davis beats the odds after terminal cacner diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the Weekly first shared Jack Davis<\/a>\u2019 story in 2017, the T\u0101kaka father-of-four was fighting for his life. With a terminal cancer<\/a> diagnosis and time running out, Jack and his wife Sally-Anne were desperately fundraising for an extremely expensive immunotherapy treatment that would eventually set them back $200,000.<\/p>\n

Now, against all odds, Jack sits smiling in their tranquil Golden Bay home, still processing the unthinkable \u2013 for now, he\u2019s been given the all-clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still can\u2019t quite believe it,\u201d says the former carpenter, 57. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t even celebrated properly yet because we can\u2019t quite get our heads around it.<\/p>\n

Their disbelief is understandable. Jack has Lynch syndrome, a rare inherited genetic condition that significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer<\/a> and, in some cases, head and neck cancer.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Jack was diagnosed with throat cancer, and underwent chemotherapy<\/a> and radiation. In late 2015, he got the devastating news that he also had bowel cancer<\/a>. Genetic testing subsequently confirmed Lynch syndrome. Through crowdfunding and cashing in their KiwiSaver, the couple raised enough money to start life-saving Keytruda treatment<\/a> in 2017, which remains unfunded in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\"\" (Credit: Carrie Dobbs.)<\/p>\n

Fighting for lifesaving treatment<\/p>\n

\u201cOur friends and communities have been incredible,\u201d says early childhood educator Sally-Anne, 52. <\/p>\n

\u201cTheir help was literally lifesaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

For two years, Jack received Keytruda infusions every three weeks. The treatment stabilised his disease and reduced tumour activity. Then, in September 2019, the money ran out. When treatment stopped, scans showed the bowel cancer had begun progressing again.<\/p>\n

A new cancer, a new battle<\/p>\n

In 2020, Jack was diagnosed with a new aggressive cancer in his tongue and tonsils. He underwent a brutal 16-hour \u201cFrankenstein-style\u201d surgery that removed and reattached his tongue, leaving him on a liquid-only diet for life.<\/p>\n

Still, the Davis family refused to give up. Fuelled by humour and creativity, they launched a cheeky fundraising calendar featuring Jack\u2019s bare butt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought, let\u2019s talk openly about bowel cancer,\u201d says Sally-Anne. <\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get rid of the embarrassment and make it funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

A second chance at treatment<\/p>\n

In February 2021, they had the funds to restart Keytruda treatments every six weeks rather than every three weeks. Scans confirmed Jack was responding well with his tumours shrinking.<\/p>\n

Alongside medical treatments, Jack also used cannabis oil to help manage his pain, appetite and overall wellbeing. While Jack is convinced cannabis oil has been beneficial for him, it\u2019s his family who\u2019ve had the biggest impact on his cancer journey.<\/p>\n

\"\"The couple with Aimee-Anne\u2019s baby girl Estella.<\/p>\n

Leaning on each other <\/p>\n

\u201cI call Sally-Anne my leg,\u201d Jack laughs, gently squeezing his wife\u2019s hand. <\/p>\n

\u201cWithout her, I\u2019d fall over. Even in the darkest times, my goal was to make her laugh every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also brimming with pride for his children. Aimee-Anne, 28, runs a beauty business, Thomas, 29, is a builder managing multimillion-dollar projects, while Poppy, 17, and Hunter, 15, live happy, typical teenage lives. They\u2019re a resilient bunch, but Jack admits it has taken a toll on them all.<\/p>\n

The weight of not being able to provide<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a traditional guy and not being able to provide for the family was belittling,\u201d he shares. <\/p>\n

\u201cHunter, our youngest, has known me with cancer for his whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sinister shadow of Lynch syndrome still hangs over them. Aimee-Anne, who tested positive for the gene in 2017, is regularly monitored. For now, Thomas has chosen not to test and as Poppy approaches 18, the age when at-risk individuals are generally eligible to test, she\u2019ll make the choice for herself.<\/p>\n

Family remains Jack\u2019s greatest motivation and now there\u2019s a new generation to love with the arrival of his first grandchild, Estella Mae Rose, in December 2025.<\/p>\n

\"\"In 2017 with their kids (clockwise from left) Aimee-Anne, Thomas, Hunter and Poppy. (Credit: Carrie Dobbs.)<\/p>\n

A dream he never thought he\u2019d see<\/p>\n

\u201cBecoming a grandad is a dream come true,\u201d he enthuses. <\/p>\n

\u201cI never believed I would see that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack\u2019s final Keytruda infusion was in March 2023, when treatment stopped once again due to cost. Monitoring throughout 2024 and 2025 showed the disease was stable. Then in September 2025, while travelling to Christchurch for Aimee-Anne\u2019s baby shower, he received an email confirming his most recent scans showed no active cancer, with remaining nodules believed to be scar tissue.<\/p>\n

Celebrating the win<\/p>\n

While Lynch syndrome<\/a> means the cancer could return, for now, Jack and Sally-Anne are taking this as a win.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as we got home from the baby shower, we called the doctor,\u201d Jack recalls. <\/p>\n

\u201cShe confirmed the words we had dreamed of hearing for so long: \u2018Yes, Jack, you are cancer-free.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally-Anne remembers, \u201cBack in 2017, we didn\u2019t think Jack\u00a0would reach 50 years old and now we\u2019re grandparents. The cancer journey\u00a0has a happy ending for the time being.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eye shining with emotion, Jack continues, \u201cI\u2019ve had this plague hanging over me for more than a decade and now I can finally see the light.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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