A Northland father-of-four with an aggressive brain tumour is desperate to see his daughters grow up - but it'll cost him $60,000.
Brett Hunter, 43, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in November 2017 and was told he may have just 12-18 months to live.
Around a month ago, a new inoperable tumour grew deep in his brain leaving him with limited mobility on his right side.
Hunter said while he knew his cancer was terminal, he hoped the non-government funded immunotherapy drug, Avastin, could help improve his quality of life so he could spend more time with his family.
"I've had a really awesome year in terms of getting to spend time with my family, we managed to fit in some holidays and just enjoy each other's company."
Hunter and his wife Jo have been together for nine years.
"I just want to have a go at slowing down this tumour and have a little more time together, even if it's only six months."
Hunter's four daughters range in age from 19 to just three years old and he fears his youngest daughter, Sophie, will struggle to remember him one day.
Desperate for more time to create memories together, Hunter began searching for possible treatments.
He eventually came across Avastin and said he found "strong evidence" it could improve his quality of life.
"I found it was often used to treat my kind of cancer, so I spoke with my oncologist about it and was told it was an option but a very costly one."
Avastin isn't funded by Pharmac in New Zealand meaning Hunter and his family will need at least $60,000 for the course of treatment, which he will have to take for the rest of his life.
Hunter said his brain tumor diagnosis had sent his family on a "roller coaster of emotions".
"It's incredibly frustrating to see it being used and funded in so many countries, even Australia, which is so close, but it's not funded here."
The family have started a Givealittle page which Hunter admitted was "hard to do" as he didn't like to ask for handouts.
"Asking for help was hard for me but I realised this cancer is going to beat me if I don't. The support on the page has been very humbling for me."
So far the page has garnered over $30,000.
"If there is any surplus of funds raised through the Givealittle page, it will go to assisting my wife and children with day-to-day needs if I'm no longer around," he said.
Hunter's wife Jo works part time and for many years he has been the sole income earner.
"Any extra money will be kept for them for when I'm gone."
A spokeswoman for Pharmac said an application for funding Avastin to treat relapsed or recurrent glioblastoma had been considered and declined.
"The Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC) recommended that the application be declined. There were a number of factors including that evidence was of poor quality.
"It noted that it was uncertain of the benefits of Bevacizumab (Avastin) compared with the current standards of care and that it was associated with a significant adverse event profile."
Hunter hopes one day Avastin will be government funded as he believes it could have the potential to save or improve many lives.
For now, Hunter is hopeful the money raised will help give him extra precious time with his loved ones and, while at first it had been hard to come to terms with dying, he manages to keep a positive outlook.
"At first, I spent a lot of time thinking 'why me? This is cruel', but when I was young I had a friend who died from a brain tumour at 21, and now I just feel lucky for the 43 years I've already had."