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Wife's plea to save husband
A PEAK family fighting to save a loved one's life will discover on Monday how much money they will need for private cancer treatment after having been turned down twice by the NHS.
And they have launched an appeal in Buxton to raise cash for the rare treatment.
Former Chapel-en-le-Frith man Ian Bowers is dying from a rare form of cancer affecting the adrenal gland called phaeochromocytoma, which has now spread to his lungs. But Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust refused to fund the drug Sutent – which is approved in the UK for treating kidney cancer but not Ian's cancer because it is so rare – even after an appeal by his oncologist.
Now, his family and friends have launched a massive fundraising campaign to pay for the drug privately as time runs out for Ian, who now lives in Cromford.
Around 4,000 has so far been raised and a charity set up in memory of a woman who fought for Sutent have stepped in to to help Ian and his wife Jane Richards.
Jane, who grew up in Buxton, said: "We heard the appeal had been refused on August 20 and were just distraught.
"We decided then we needed to take action and needed to find the money to pay for the drug privately.
"We will see the consultant on Monday and hopefully we can get the drug ordered and organised from there. We just need to find out how we have
to pay for it.
"He will need to be in hospital for a little while just so they can keep an eye on him.
"It might not work. The evidence suggests it could work and could reduce the tumour, reduce the life threatening symptoms and possibly even eradicate them. It is very successful for people with kidney cancer but Ian's cancer is very unusual.
"It costs about 3,200 per cycle, which is four weeks on and two weeks off, and if it doesn't work within three months, three cycles, it's unlikely to work. But it does give us the best chance available.
"Ian is only 40 and this is no life for somebody that age."
Jane's efforts have been helped this week after she contacted an organisation which specialises in fighting such cases.
She explained: "We have been in touch with the Pamela Northcott Fund and they have said they are very happy to take on Ian's case.
"Pamela Northcott was a lady who requested Sutent from her local PCT and they refused to fund it. She fought the PCT for about nine months and eventually they gave her the drug when Pamela only had days left to live. She survived for several months after that and her family have set up this organisation.
"It is a huge relief for me because they have been successful with a lot of people in getting funding. They have lawyers and medical experts who understand the jargon because it is very difficult for me to get through all the papers."
A charity auction is being held at Masson Mill, Matlock Bath on Thursday, October 22 at 7.30pm to help raise money the treatment.
Collection boxes have been placed in businesses across Buxton and Chapel, and family and friends have also undertaken a number of charity drives to help raise the money.
Jane said: "Local people have been wonderful. We have had about 500 in anonymous donations as well as all the fundraising."
Anyone who would like to donate, can contact Jane on 07807 486594, or email cromford@googlemail.com. Jane's mum Filomena Richards, who runs the Grove Movie Centre in Buxton, is also collecting donations for Ian.
A spokesman for the PCT said : "We are currently investigating the issues raised by the family and will be responding to them directly."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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