OTTAWA -- Newstalk 580 CFRA technical producer Brian Fraser says he has decided not to seek additional treatment for his leukemia.
Fraser, who has been public about his experiences with cancer throughout 2020, said in a Twitter thread on Sunday that he made the decision after learning about the reality of what he faced.
"With the return of my leukemia, a plan was laid out. Unfortunately, the completion of this treatment would have left me with a 25% chance of living 1 year," Fraser said. "With that in mind, and after A LOT of thought, I’ve decided to NOT continue any treatment."
Fraser's leukemia returned in late 2020 after going into remission in the spring. He says he has decided to make positive memories with the time he has left. He has been on leave from his job as the producer of CFRA's "The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll" since he was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2019.
"It’s more important to me to spend whatever time I have left with my family, and my friends rather than suffer through more treatment, knowing I won’t get the results to make it worth it. I’d rather make new happy memories with the people that I love, so that’s what I’m gonna do," he wrote.
The 26-year-old, an avid sports fan, has seen an outpouring of support from professional sports figures from the highest levels, including Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri, NFL quarterback Drew Brees, and the Team Canada World Juniors roster, among others.
Fraser has been an advocate for blood donations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, after an interview with CTV News Chief Anchor Lisa LaFlamme about the issue, visitors rushed to the Canadian Blood Services website.
Fraser is now home from the hospital, returning just before New Year's.
He said Sunday that he decided to go public with his decision to discontinue treatments because of how much support he's been shown as he faced the disease.
"I’ve decided to make this public because one thing I absolutely don’t want to do is disappear. There are several people who have really invested a lot into my fight, and considering the love they’ve given me, I think they deserve to know how things have turned," he said.
"And to be honest, the tweets that say “you’re gonna beat this, you’re a fighter” are starting to hurt, a little bit. So I’ll ask that you don’t treat me any differently. I want the rest of my life to feel as close to the life I have lived and lived up to this point as possible."
Fraser thanked everyone who has shown support in whatever fashion over the last year and a half.
"You already know this, but you’ve carried me through my time in the hospital, and gave me the strength to make it home to my family. I love all of you."
