
Niamh Johnston is crowdfunding
Weʼre raising £150,000 to help fund a vaccine which gives hope of a longer life for Luke.
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Story
In March 2023 our dear friend Luke Johnston, aged just 35, received the devastating diagnosis of a stage 4 glioblastoma, following the discovery of a brain tumour. The diagnosis comes with a truly bleak prognosis: the average glioblastoma survival time is 12-18 months – only 25% of patients survive more than one year, and only 5% of patients survive more than five years.
It was only last year, in 2022 that Luke was celebrating his marriage to the wonderful Niamh in Northern Ireland, surrounded by their nearest and dearest. A year later and all those plans about how’d they’d spend the rest of their lives together have been cruelly curtailed.
But there is some hope. They’ve recently learned about a ground-breaking new treatment called DCVAX-L, they knew they had to do everything in their power to help. This personalised cancer vaccine is made from each patient's own dendritic cells, which help the immune system recognise and attack tumour cells. However, the treatment is expensive, costing between £150,000-£250,000, and not currently available on the NHS. We hope this vaccine becomes accessible for Luke and if it does, we pray that it can extend his time with us. If the vaccine doesn't become an option then the funds will be used for bucket list experiences.
The size of Luke’s friendship network is testament to the type of character he is. Kind, warm and uniquely eccentric, Luke is truly one-of-a-kind. And the response and support from his friends and family has been incredible. One initiative already in the planning stage will be Luke’s ‘March to the Arch’ – a walk from Exeter to Wembley to watch England vs Italy in October. Over 20 walkers will take on the challenge of walking an average of a marathon every day for eight days.
But the truth is, they won’t be able to raise the sort of money required without your help. And that’s why we’ve set up this page. Luke’s got some ambitious targets planned for the next chapter of his life: Starting a family, watching England win the World Cup in 2026 and working his way through a lifetime’s supply of Jaffa Cakes and Bourbons.
Luke's March to the Arch is not just a walk; it's a symbol of hope and a testament to the power of friendship and community. With every step, the walkers will be raising awareness and funds for this ground-breaking treatment, giving Luke and other cancer patients like him a chance to fight this disease and live a full and happy life.
Any donation you can make to the cause will be appreciated beyond measure. Thank you for taking the time to read Luke’s story.
We recognise that there are other fundraisers being organised away from 'March to the Arch' and would like to encourage those raising funds through an auction, gala dinner, running a marathon, hosting a BBQ etc. to still use this page as their main fundraising platform.
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Updates
3
7 months ago
Niamh Johnston
7 months agoTo all of you who have supported Luke so far by donating, sharing and getting his story out there we are forever grateful and humbled, Thank you! Luke is now recovering from his recent treatment of daily radiotherapy & chemotherapy. Our team of family & friends are behind us and looking ahead at future fundraising events which we will keep updated on the March To The Arch Facebook page. Please follow us and help continue Luke’s story - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089674824107 Thank you all 💕 Niamh x
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8 months ago
Niamh Johnston
8 months agoShare this update to help us raise more
8 months ago
Niamh Johnston
8 months agoWe are blown away by the support we've had and to reach 15k in the first 24 hours is incredible. Thank you to everyone who has donated and shared.
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Niamh Johnston started crowdfunding
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Supporters
2264
Rossi 5K and Eoin Farrell walk -balance
Dec 2, 2023
Pearse
Nov 27, 2023
Thinking of you folks, best wishes.
£250.00
Dave & Lyd
Nov 26, 2023
It was a shame that I couldn’t attend Sandy Park with you last week. Another great effort by everyone involved!
£250.00
Cath and Moi
Nov 24, 2023
We heard about this from Lee. Sending our best wishes
£20.00
Anonymous
Nov 15, 2023
Anonymous
Nov 13, 2023
N McAvoy Burns
Nov 9, 2023
Xxx
£50.00

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What is crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a new type of fundraising where you can raise funds for your own personal cause, even if you're not a registered nonprofit.
The page owner is responsible for the distribution of funds raised.
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