John’s rally and fight against advanced bowel cancer

In April 2017, our good pal, life and soul to many, John Ireland, 47, husband and step father was diagnosed with Stage 4 advanced colon cancer (upper ascending colon) with metastases on liver, lymph and lungs. Of 26 liver segments, not one segment is free of cancer. John is continuing to fight and fight hard each day, and we are asking for help in this fight.

His diagnosis was out the blue, waking up with heart burn on the 3rd April. After seeing Doctors, having tests, and an endoscopy, the news was confirmed on the 4th April.

In a tough health and financial journey prior to and since diagnosis, John has needed to fund his treatment privately, at a personal cost of £13,000 per month. Due to the advanced nature of the cancer and drugs required, the NHS has not been able to provide the drug regime treatment in the timelines to try slowing the cancer. Thus John has had to personally pay for the treatment since April 2017. .

An emergency bowel operation in September 2017 to attempt a resection wasn’t successful as the primary tumour was attached to the abdominal wall and couldn’t be removed, thus only a bypass could be performed and continuation of chemotherapy.

John has found advanced drug therapy treatment in Heidelberg, Germany which if successful will give him an extension of life, and more time with his family.

As a result of the expense of medication and operation in his fight for life, John has now had his last available treatment this January 2018, without funds to pay for more, having spent his entire savings on therapy. We’re asking for help to aid in the continuation of treatment in February and beyond to get to July 2018 as the immediate next step. We need to raise £50,000 (USD71k) to support this step.

We’d be very grateful for your help in giving an extension of life to our pal. Any donations towards John's fight against cancer will be hugely valued, welcomed and loved.

Thank you.

Michael Joerin, Adam Vittozzi, Tim Till, Stephen Bennett.