Bryce Mata

This week I started chemotherapy, and Friday I finished day 5 of 21.

Shortly after our first Freak Baby Zine issue release at Factory Two on April 25th, I noticed one of my balls was way bigger than normal and a week or so later, I was diagnosed with non-seminoma testicular cancer. Aaand pretty quickly after that I had the big boy removed (RIP).

Thought that was the end of it but, unfortunately, some recent scans showed that the cancer had spread, so I’m now undergoing chemotherapy, with another surgery planned afterward.

Good news is that this type of cancer has a very high treatment success rate, so I’m feeling really optimistic. The bad news is that chemo fucking sucks, and apparently having one ball doesn’t get you a 50% discount on bills.

We’re a single-income family of four, and I’ll be taking some time away from work while I get through treatment. Definitely don’t feel comfortable with the idea of starting a GoFundMe, but we do have a bunch of merch left over from our first Freak Baby event, so we’ve put a bundle up on our store.

It includes a tote, enamel pin, the first physical issue of the zine, and stickers. The first 12 orders will also get a cardstock screen print of @brentmosser ’s cover artwork.

If you want to support us, you can grab one through the link in my bio. There’s also an option to kick in a little extra at checkout if you’d like (but absolutely no pressure.)

Most importantly, I wanna thank everyone who’s checked in, reached out, offered help, or just sent some love our way. It really does mean a lot to us and our family.

Love to all ❤️🫶

P.S. Might not have hair next time you see me 😎