Janelle Brunton-Rennie, a beloved member of the New Zealand beauty industry (2017’s PR Personality of the Year at the Bauer Best in Beauty Awards), and her partner Kurt Brunton, have reached out wide in desperation as they face their most challenging battle yet.
On the day of Kurt Brunton's third wedding anniversary in January he discovered a hard lump on his abdomen. With no prior health concerns, the 41-year-old decided to take no risks and booked an appointment with his doctor that afternoon. Brunton was diagnosed with a aggressive stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. Initially, the prognosis was positive, with doctors estimating a 90 per cent chance of recovery but eight months later it dropped to 10 per cent.
On father’s day, the first that Kurt and Janelle have shared with their daughter Sage, Janelle announced that there had been no response to the second round of chemo and a stem cell transplant was no longer an option.
“We have been working away in the background to get Kurt to the US for ground breaking CAR-T (immuno)therapy treatment. In cases like Kurts it’s achieving remission rates of 40-60 per cent. It’s going to cost us about NZ$1.5 million and if we have to sell our house, cars and everything we own, we will. It’s our only hope, and we will do everything we can,” read Janelle’s post.
A Givealittle page was created on Saturday in support of the family and with the help of friends rallying around the couple and coverage on NZ Herald, Stuff and Newshub, has raised $149,199.95 so far.
However, the treatment in Boston requires payment upfront and there is still a way to go before the hefty target is reached.
The owner of Media Jam, mother, wife and friend to many, has been a constant pillar of support for many. Janelle unwavering dedication, passion and eternal optimism, makes her a shining light in the industry. BEAUTYDIRECTORY’s thoughts are with the family as they embark on their next challenge.