Please help my recovery
Donation protected
It’s Katherine here.
Sadly, my dear brother Piers passed away on 19th April after his brave battle with cancer. As you know, Piers was utterly determined to find a way through his condition and he fought tooth and nail to extend his life as long as possible. The fact that he was able to continue for two and a half years after originally being given only days to live is a testament to his strength and incredible spirit.
No matter how prepared you are for the worst, it always comes as a shock. Piers and I set up this fundraiser together and it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that he is no longer around to script this entry with me.
I cannot thank enough all those of you who have donated so kindly and generously. Piers’ pioneering treatment took him to far flung corners of the earth, and it all came at a huge cost to him and his family. Every penny helped him to live as long as possible.
Sincerest gratitude and much love to all of you,
Katherine
PS Kindly note, any messages sent via this website initially go to Piers' email and so will no longer reach me. If you need to get in touch via the most popular professional networking website, I work at EJEF.
***********************************************************************
Hello, my name is Piers Robinson and in September 2018, at the age of 49, with a wife and 3 children under 10 years old, I was diagnosed with cancer. To say it was a shock is an understatement, which was compounded by being told by the consultant there was nothing that could be done, and I should go home to spend my final weeks with my family.
Not for the first time in my life, I didn’t listen to authority, and I’m still here as a result.
I have set up this site with the help of my sister, Katherine, for the following reasons:
____________________
1. To tell my story, and ask those, who have the means, to support my ongoing treatment, most of which has to be outside the UK.
You can read the summary below, but basically, to stay alive, I had no option but to take my treatment into my own hands and I have navigated this complex world, through the NHS and private systems in the UK, to two clinics in Germany, then on to Turkey and most recently to Mexico. I haven’t always made the right decisions - there’s no handbook on DIY cancer care - but I’m doing really well. However, this journey has been expensive. My personal costs are close to £200k. Having not worked for over 2 years, with a family to provide for, this is clearly not sustainable. I’ve also relied on humbling generosity from family and close friends, but I need to go further.
So, first and foremost, I am asking you to support me to get back to full health, so we set up this site with a target of £120k. The £50k raised so far has been invaluable, but I need to hit that £120k target.
I’ve got over my personal horror at the thought of asking others to donate to me and have accepted it’s a necessity, so if you have the means, I’d be grateful for any support you could give!
____________________
2. To enable me to provide the hope, inspiration and guidance for others who need it: I am defying my initial prognosis and others can too.
Of course, my primary purpose is to be there for my kids as they grow up, then to grow old with my wife. My family is what's kept me going in the really dark times. But I also want to use my experience to be a force for good - both to others and society at large.
I understand the fear, desperation and hopelessness that goes with a cancer diagnosis. But I also know it doesn’t have to be that way. I want to provide hope and support to the increasing numbers of people who may need it. Sadly, cancer is forecast to soon become the number one cause of death in the western world, and if the trend continues, it will affect 1 in 2 people directly, in their lifetime. This isn’t just because we have an ageing population - more and more children and adults of working age are being diagnosed. Doctors often tell the patient it’s either ‘genetic’ or ‘bad luck’. This is very disempowering and is not supported by the evidence that demonstrates the trigger is most commonly factors such as toxins, western diet, stress, bacterium, parasites and the like. The fact is, the patient has much more control over the cause and their trajectory than the ‘system’ allows. I’d like to help others avoid the traps I’ve fallen into, that have used up valuable time and money, and help them find their own way to defy medical expectations. Patients can take ownership of their own treatment path, and until the UK system catches up, this is what they must learn to do!
____________________
3. To support my quest to demonstrate that the methods of cancer care in the UK are sadly outdated, and many more lives could be saved with a complete review and modernisation of the treatment approach.
Finally, I want to help the UK system to wake up to the realities of this condition, as sadly, the system is way behind. This is no criticism of the many fantastic doctors and nurses - I’ve met plenty of them along the way - but their hands are tied by archaic protocols. For example, the chemo drugs I was initially given were patented in the 1980s and their use has changed very little since. The treatment protocols of today are still rooted in the last century.
There are multiple ways I want to influence the system, but the best way, initially, is to be completely cured and be a living example of what can be achieved. So, I have to prioritise my own treatment above all else at the moment.
So, your support will not only help me personally, but give me the ability and opportunity to spread the word and help others who find themselves in a helpless position with a hopeless prognosis, as I was 2 1/2 years ago. You will also be helping me to change the system, for the benefit of one in two of us at some point in our lives.
I sincerely thank you for your support.... and whilst I very much hope you never need my advice, I will be available if you do.
Piers
____________________
To follow is my story in more detail, for those who want to know more...
- In September 2018 I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was told, by my local NHS hospital that there was nothing more that could be done, and to ‘go and be with my family’ for my last few weeks
- Through contacts, I was introduced to a private specialist who offered me a consultation just a few days later
- Within a week, I received a life-saving procedure that I was previously told was not possible
- I then (reluctantly, because I was scared and didn’t know what else to do) followed the typical course of treatment recommended by my U.K. oncologist
- I also attempted some alternative methods, but didn’t really know what I was doing, or who to listen to
- By Autumn 2019, I had lost 20kg, had extreme abdominal bloating and very swollen legs and ankles. Each of these conditions typically signify things are not going well! My oncologist said there was little more he could do for me (I’d asked him not to give me a ‘dead’ line)
- I then spent time at two clinics in Germany but cut the programmes short as I discovered a clinic in Istanbul that offered a wide range of integrated treatments that I’d never seen combined before. I signed up for 5 rounds of 10 days. I saw my UK oncologist at the end of that programme (January 2020) and he was so taken aback with my improved condition that called it ‘remarkable’ and actually hugged me.
- I continued the Istanbul treatment into 2020, including during the pandemic. This was tough, and I started to see reduced positive effect, so I knew it was time to go elsewhere. The total cost of that treatment was in excess of £120k... but it saved my life.
- I discovered the perfect place for me and spent 3 weeks at an immunotherapy clinic in Mexico in January 2021. I have already demonstrated a significant response to the treatment, but there is still work to do, hence why this gofundme page is still so important.
Thank you for reading this far!
Piers
Sadly, my dear brother Piers passed away on 19th April after his brave battle with cancer. As you know, Piers was utterly determined to find a way through his condition and he fought tooth and nail to extend his life as long as possible. The fact that he was able to continue for two and a half years after originally being given only days to live is a testament to his strength and incredible spirit.
No matter how prepared you are for the worst, it always comes as a shock. Piers and I set up this fundraiser together and it is with great sadness and a heavy heart that he is no longer around to script this entry with me.
I cannot thank enough all those of you who have donated so kindly and generously. Piers’ pioneering treatment took him to far flung corners of the earth, and it all came at a huge cost to him and his family. Every penny helped him to live as long as possible.
Sincerest gratitude and much love to all of you,
Katherine
PS Kindly note, any messages sent via this website initially go to Piers' email and so will no longer reach me. If you need to get in touch via the most popular professional networking website, I work at EJEF.
***********************************************************************
Hello, my name is Piers Robinson and in September 2018, at the age of 49, with a wife and 3 children under 10 years old, I was diagnosed with cancer. To say it was a shock is an understatement, which was compounded by being told by the consultant there was nothing that could be done, and I should go home to spend my final weeks with my family.
Not for the first time in my life, I didn’t listen to authority, and I’m still here as a result.
I have set up this site with the help of my sister, Katherine, for the following reasons:
____________________
1. To tell my story, and ask those, who have the means, to support my ongoing treatment, most of which has to be outside the UK.
You can read the summary below, but basically, to stay alive, I had no option but to take my treatment into my own hands and I have navigated this complex world, through the NHS and private systems in the UK, to two clinics in Germany, then on to Turkey and most recently to Mexico. I haven’t always made the right decisions - there’s no handbook on DIY cancer care - but I’m doing really well. However, this journey has been expensive. My personal costs are close to £200k. Having not worked for over 2 years, with a family to provide for, this is clearly not sustainable. I’ve also relied on humbling generosity from family and close friends, but I need to go further.
So, first and foremost, I am asking you to support me to get back to full health, so we set up this site with a target of £120k. The £50k raised so far has been invaluable, but I need to hit that £120k target.
I’ve got over my personal horror at the thought of asking others to donate to me and have accepted it’s a necessity, so if you have the means, I’d be grateful for any support you could give!
____________________
2. To enable me to provide the hope, inspiration and guidance for others who need it: I am defying my initial prognosis and others can too.
Of course, my primary purpose is to be there for my kids as they grow up, then to grow old with my wife. My family is what's kept me going in the really dark times. But I also want to use my experience to be a force for good - both to others and society at large.
I understand the fear, desperation and hopelessness that goes with a cancer diagnosis. But I also know it doesn’t have to be that way. I want to provide hope and support to the increasing numbers of people who may need it. Sadly, cancer is forecast to soon become the number one cause of death in the western world, and if the trend continues, it will affect 1 in 2 people directly, in their lifetime. This isn’t just because we have an ageing population - more and more children and adults of working age are being diagnosed. Doctors often tell the patient it’s either ‘genetic’ or ‘bad luck’. This is very disempowering and is not supported by the evidence that demonstrates the trigger is most commonly factors such as toxins, western diet, stress, bacterium, parasites and the like. The fact is, the patient has much more control over the cause and their trajectory than the ‘system’ allows. I’d like to help others avoid the traps I’ve fallen into, that have used up valuable time and money, and help them find their own way to defy medical expectations. Patients can take ownership of their own treatment path, and until the UK system catches up, this is what they must learn to do!
____________________
3. To support my quest to demonstrate that the methods of cancer care in the UK are sadly outdated, and many more lives could be saved with a complete review and modernisation of the treatment approach.
Finally, I want to help the UK system to wake up to the realities of this condition, as sadly, the system is way behind. This is no criticism of the many fantastic doctors and nurses - I’ve met plenty of them along the way - but their hands are tied by archaic protocols. For example, the chemo drugs I was initially given were patented in the 1980s and their use has changed very little since. The treatment protocols of today are still rooted in the last century.
There are multiple ways I want to influence the system, but the best way, initially, is to be completely cured and be a living example of what can be achieved. So, I have to prioritise my own treatment above all else at the moment.
So, your support will not only help me personally, but give me the ability and opportunity to spread the word and help others who find themselves in a helpless position with a hopeless prognosis, as I was 2 1/2 years ago. You will also be helping me to change the system, for the benefit of one in two of us at some point in our lives.
I sincerely thank you for your support.... and whilst I very much hope you never need my advice, I will be available if you do.
Piers
____________________
To follow is my story in more detail, for those who want to know more...
- In September 2018 I was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and was told, by my local NHS hospital that there was nothing more that could be done, and to ‘go and be with my family’ for my last few weeks
- Through contacts, I was introduced to a private specialist who offered me a consultation just a few days later
- Within a week, I received a life-saving procedure that I was previously told was not possible
- I then (reluctantly, because I was scared and didn’t know what else to do) followed the typical course of treatment recommended by my U.K. oncologist
- I also attempted some alternative methods, but didn’t really know what I was doing, or who to listen to
- By Autumn 2019, I had lost 20kg, had extreme abdominal bloating and very swollen legs and ankles. Each of these conditions typically signify things are not going well! My oncologist said there was little more he could do for me (I’d asked him not to give me a ‘dead’ line)
- I then spent time at two clinics in Germany but cut the programmes short as I discovered a clinic in Istanbul that offered a wide range of integrated treatments that I’d never seen combined before. I signed up for 5 rounds of 10 days. I saw my UK oncologist at the end of that programme (January 2020) and he was so taken aback with my improved condition that called it ‘remarkable’ and actually hugged me.
- I continued the Istanbul treatment into 2020, including during the pandemic. This was tough, and I started to see reduced positive effect, so I knew it was time to go elsewhere. The total cost of that treatment was in excess of £120k... but it saved my life.
- I discovered the perfect place for me and spent 3 weeks at an immunotherapy clinic in Mexico in January 2021. I have already demonstrated a significant response to the treatment, but there is still work to do, hence why this gofundme page is still so important.
Thank you for reading this far!
Piers
Organiser
Piers Robinson
Organiser
