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Holly Brown raised £144,586.1 from 2164 supporters

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Closed 09/02/2024

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£144,586
raised of £250,000 target by 2164 supporters

    Iʼve raised £144,586 to help daddy survive cancer, just like his daughter!

    Dorking, Surrey
    Funded on Friday, 9th February 2024

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    ----------------

    ** UPDATE ** Richard has now sadly left this life. Please see updates below. I am currently leaving this page open in case anyone wants to donate to myself, Evie and Mabel during this time. xxx

    ----------------

    We have a problem, a big problem. But we have a plan, a ray of hope in pioneering immunotherapy treatment, and we need YOUR help to make it happen.

    My much-loved husband, Richard, has brain cancer. Or as our two young daughters, Evie and Mabel, call it... “the brain bug”. But our story starts before Richard, not long ago, when our youngest daughter, Mabel, also had cancer.

    - MABEL & RICHARD -

    It was the start of the pandemic in 2020 when our daughter, Mabel, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. She was 2.5 years old. It was the start of lockdown, and so an incredibly isolating time for our child to face cancer. Thankfully, she pushed through over two years of punishing treatment, losing all of her hair, and she made it. She beat cancer, and in September 2022, she started school. Richard lovingly supported our beautiful little girl all through her treatment, slept next to her in hospital and held her hand every step of the way.

    However, unbelievably, just before this chapter closed, another one started. By some horrific coincidence, exactly two months to the day before Mabel was to finish her treatment, in May 2022, Richard had a big and unexpected seizure. This seizure led to his devastating diagnosis of a high-grade, brain tumour called Glioblastoma (GBM). Our world was turned upside down, once again.

    Richard showed immense bravery through awake brain surgery to biopsy the tumour. He then started the standard NHS treatment of 6 weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and a further 6 months of chemotherapy. But this treatment is not a cure. It is buying time. At the end of chemotherapy, the waiting begins for the tumour to regrow.

    Richard struggles immensely with the reality that he didn't get to see the end of his child's journey with cancer, before starting his own. On the same day that Mabel "Rang the Bell" at hospital to celebrate the end of her treatment, with cake and balloons and all her favourite nurses, Richard had already been to radiotherapy in another building, and it took all his courage not to cry and to focus on the celebration. Our eldest daughter, Evie, also suffers the consequences of not only her sister in treatment for cancer, but now her daddy. "Why?" she asks. "Why did this happen twice in our family?". There is no answer, but there is hope.

    - THE SOLUTION -

    Thankfully, there are other treatments available for GBM. Richard has just started cutting-edge immunotherapy treatment in Germany, and the creation of a personalised cancer vaccine. These work by taking cells from the patient’s specific tumour and creating a vaccine which teaches the immune system to identify and attack it. The vaccines are injected into the patient every month initially, approximately over the first year, and then less frequently thereafter. These personalised vaccines have had incredibly positive results - some people have gone into remission or long exceeded their initial prognosis. But these treatments are not available on the NHS or through private health insurance. They are only available in Germany and America, and are very expensive.

    - FUNDRAISING -

    This is why we are fundraising for Richard. We need to cover the costs of this pioneering life-saving treatment, and also the cost of travelling to Germany every month to access it. We cannot possibly afford this without your help.

    Richard is a much loved daddy, husband, son, brother, uncle and friend to so many. Please help us in any way you can, big or small, to reach our goal and secure his treatment.

    PLEASE (1) Share this page, (2) Give whatever you can, (3) Do a sponsored run / cake sale / mountain climb... whatever you can! Please if nothing else, help us spread the word and share this page. CLICK 'SHARE' at the top of page for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Email.

    Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

    Holly, Richard, Evie (10 years) & Mabel (5 years) xxx

    EMAIL: daddysbrainbug@gmail.com.

    FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/daddysbrainbug

    INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/daddysbrainbug

    Updates

    14

    • Holly Brown1 year ago
      Holly Brown

      Holly Brown

      1 year ago

      Goodbye - Part 1… I am so sad to share the news that Richard has now left this life. He died peacefully just before sunrise on Saturday 22nd July 2023, after 8 weeks of loving care at Princess Alice Hospice. I lay with him all night, holding him. Richard’s sister, Lizzie, came when the time was close and together we held a special and loving place while he parted this life. Richard, I will always love you, as will your girls. You were an absolute warrior for our family and I am so in AWE of you. xxx Continued...

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    • Holly Brown1 year ago
      Holly Brown

      Holly Brown

      1 year ago

      Goodbye - Part 2… I want to thank EVERYONE who supported our fundraising. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to afford any of Richard’s treatment abroad. Without that treatment there couldn’t have been any hope for recovery. You allowed Richard to take the most positive and promising steps possible against his disease. You therefore shaped our family’s experience so it was held with HOPE. I thank you again, from the bottom of my heart. Love Holly, Evie, Mabel and most importantly, Richard. xxx

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    • Holly Brown1 year ago
      Holly Brown

      Holly Brown

      1 year ago

      So Proud - Part 1... Richard has just returned home from two weeks in Germany where he was given the opportunity to try a new and very promising form of immunotherapy treatment. Richard underwent a second surgery, this time to insert two catheters directly into his brain, allowing immunotherapy treatment to go directly into the heart of his tumour. This involved spending two weeks as an inpatient in a private hospital, all funded by Daddy's Brain Bug. So thank you to everyone who has helped us so far, we are so incredibly grateful! Continued...

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    2 years ago

    Holly Brown started crowdfunding

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    Page last updated on: 11/21/2023 01.26

    Supporters

    2164

    • Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Nov 21, 2023

    • RGAW

      RGAW

      Oct 17, 2023

      Bless you and your two children and the strength to heal your grief.

      £5.00

    • Ina

      Ina

      Sep 28, 2023

      ...i have no actual words... i wish i had some. Sending you strenghts and love.

      £20.00

    • Jane

      Jane

      Sep 21, 2023

      Good luck Richard Just heard you on radio 5 . Sorry I can't afford to give more .Good luck Jane

      £2.00

    • Annie

      Annie

      Sep 15, 2023

      So very sorry to hear this sad news.

      £100.00

    • Jude, 6W xxx

      Jude, 6W xxx

      Sep 4, 2023

      We’re so so sorry for your loss xxx

      £50.00

    • Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Sep 3, 2023

      Words seem so inadequate. So desperately sorry for your loss. Sending you all love and wishing you strength.

      £50.00

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    About the fundraiser
    Holly Brown

    Holly Brown

    Dorking, Surrey

    Hi, I'm Richard's wife, Holly. PLEASE do anything you can to help. If you have a fundraising idea or want to make contact please email daddysbrainbug@gmail.com or use the contact link below. Thank you so much for your support, Holly, Richard, Evie & Mabel. xxx

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