Paul Haines, both an extraordinarily talented writer and a much-loved member of the Aussie specfic community, is going through a tough time. After being diagnosed with bowel cancer, having sections of his bowel removed and enduring six months worth of chemotherapy, he has recently discovered he has spots on his liver.

Paul has met this news by “reloading his guns” and is going to fight it with two other forms of chemotherapy for this kind of cancer, combined with a monoclonal antibody called Avastin. Unfortunately Avastin is not currently covered by Medicare or the Australian government’s private health system’s funding. The course of Avastin medication alone costs $20,000, which is beyond the Haines family’s already overextended finances.

The Australian speculative writing and fan community are pulling together to try and help Paul raise funds for his medication. Over the coming days, a fundraising plan of action will be formed – in the meantime, you can make a donation via paypal using this button:

Large or small – every donation counts!