Target reached for fundraising wife of brain tumour sufferer

Natasha Carey issued a plea for help on Tuesday, for a treatment she believes will give her husband Kevin a fighting chance of beating cancer through costly immunotherapy.

The response was remarkable, and by early Saturday the total had been reached, with donations continuing to flood in.

Mr Carey, 35, was given just three months to live in July after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy failed to halt the growth of the aggressive tumour.

After last month’s bleak prognosis, the engineer from the village of Portglenone, Co Antrim underwent further specialist neurosurgery in London.

The operation removed the bulk of the tumour, but a malignant rump remains and he has been told the only real option left is an immunotherapy procedure.

The treatment is only available privately in London and will cost the couple £205,000.

Mrs Carey said she was amazed at the public’s reaction.

“We are completely overwhelmed, and cannot believe £205,000 has been raised in three days,” she said.

“This is so heart warming. It goes to show the true heart, soul, compassion, and kindness of people.

“We are beyond grateful. The support, love, generosity and encouragement Kevin and I have received is indescribable.

“Thank you all for believing in Kevin, and standing with him to fight this. Kevin has a tough fight ahead of him, and has to face the immunotherapy treatment, but now, he is not alone, he has the strength of so many wonderful people carrying him on in his fight.”

Mrs Carey said any additional money raised would be donated to brain tumour research.

In an article on the Cancer Research website, published last September and headlined: ‘Expert Opinion – Professor Peter Johnson on cancer immunotherapy’, Prof Johnson (the charity’s chief clinician) appeared hopeful about the possibilities which could be offered by immunotherapy.

He also stated that “children’s cancers, certain types of brain tumour... may be difficult to treat with immunotherapy”.

He added that, at the time of writing, “we have limited information on what the true effects of immunotherapy are”.