Heartbreaking appeal for help from NI student with devastating cancer diagnosis

A heartfelt GoFundMe appeal has been launched to help 25-year-old Scott Stinson from Newcastle in Co Down - who had mapped out a bright future in cancer research before he was diagnosed.

In just two days a whopping £36,078 has been raised for Scott of a £120,000 goal

Scott was in was in the middle of a Chemistry and Nanotechnology PhD at St. Andrews University, in Scotland, last April, when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) of the right proximal humerus.

He was forced to have his right arm and shoulder amputated.

Scott underwent a forequarter amputation in the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham and now has a shoulder prosthetic.

But sadly, a year after his diagnosis, he has discovered that the cancer has spread to his lungs and his oncologist has advised that any further treatment would be only be life-extending.

“I have exhausted all possible curative treatments available to me now on the NHS," says Scott.

"So, I have been thoroughly researching other potential curative options and I will be pursuing private drugs and treatments that are licensed and have been shown effective in other countries."

Scott, who is the oldest of three brothers Dale (24), Ewan (21) and Craig (18), added: “I have exhausted all possible curative treatments available to me now on the NHS. So, I have been thoroughly researching other potential curative options and I will be pursuing private drugs and treatments that are licensed and have been shown effective in other countries.

“These treatment packages cost up to £55,000 at a time with an indefinite monthly follow up care of up to £4000, as well as travel and accommodation costs incurred during treatment visits. Time is not on my side and I will be hoping to raise enough funds to begin the first round of treatment by the end of April.

“As well as raising funds for my further treatment, I hope to raise awareness for this rare disease. Osteosarcoma, or osteogenic sarcoma, is a rare type of bone cancer which is often considered an orphan disease. Its rarity means there is a lack of a market large enough to gain support and resources for discovering treatments for it. Osteosarcoma usually develops in growing bones and is most common in teenagers and young adults, especially in young males. Any bone in the body can be affected, but the most common sites are the arms or legs, particularly around the knee joint.”

Scott's mum, Jill Stinson, who set the GoFundMe page up said: “Scott is a remarkable, and gifted human being. His strength and determination since April 2018 are immeasurable and we continue to be grateful to Scott’s amazing girlfriend Becky, who has paused her Master’s in Costume Design in Edinburgh to move over to Northern Ireland to live with and care for Scott in Newcastle Co. Down.”

“Time is not on Scott’s side. We need to consider urgently other realistic treatment options in the likely event that treatment in the UK will not be prescribed. Therefore, we are currently researching treatment options abroad whilst still pursing the possibility of receiving Immunotherapy in the UK. Either way funding will be an issue for Scott and our family which is why we have set up this page.”

“We have been overwhelmed by the support so far and can’t believe we have raised nearly £30k in one day but we have a long way to go yet to make sure we have the funds in place to enable Scott to have the treatment plan he needs.”

To support Scott in his cancer battle click here