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Fighting for Debbie: Funding Her Personalised Life-Saving Treatment
Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,
Five years ago, our beloved Debbie faced Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with incredible courage and won. We thought that dark chapter was behind us. Tragically, life has dealt Debbie another devastating blow completely unrelated to her past illness. At just 44 years old, Debbie has been diagnosed with a WHO Grade 4 Glioblastoma — an aggressive brain tumor.
Urgent Update: Our New Goal & Crucial Deadline
The medical facility in Germany requires the first full year of Dendritic Cell Therapy, along with the highly complex cellular logistics, to be paid in full, upfront.
Because of this rigid protocol, we do not have months to raise these funds incrementally. We must secure her first-year clinical costs immediately to ensure her living tumor tissue can be processed.
To cover her upfront medical bills abroad, past out-of-pocket structural adaptations, and immediate clinical support, we have launched a new, short-term, explicit target: Our Fundraising Goal is €120,000.
The Medical Reality & A Ray of Hope
Debbie underwent major brain surgery to remove the tumor. Her recent pathology reports outline a complex molecular diagnosis: Glioblastoma IDH Wildtype with an FGFR3::TACC3 fusion. While this is a serious and aggressive tumor, her specific genetic makeup reveals two crucial pillars of hope:
- The FGFR3::TACC3 Fusion: This rare driver alteration means her tumor has a specific molecular target that is potentially treatable with advanced, targeted therapies. Per her medical team, this specific fusion is associated with slightly longer survival rates.
- MGMT Promoter Methylation: Her supplementary tests show her tumor is MGMT Methylated (17%). This is a highly favorable prognostic factor indicating her cancer is statistically much more responsive to standard chemotherapy agents.
Because the standard Irish health system has no avenues for personalised vaccines, we must look abroad to save her life. We are coordinating specialised Dendritic Cell Therapy in Cologne, Germany. Doctors will use Debbie’s own preserved tumor tissue to create a personalised vaccine designed to train her immune system to aggressively target and destroy any remaining cancer cells.
The Upfront Cost Breakdown
To get Debbie to Germany and maintain her care at home, we face the following financial hurdles:
- Tumor Logistics & Transport (June 2026): Safe transport of her living tumor cells from Dublin to Cologne, meticulously kept at -80°C: €8,500
- Phase 1 Treatment & Travel (July 2026): Personalised Vaccine Phase 1 (€26,000), specialised immune monitoring/boosters (€15,000), and travel/accommodation for Debbie and 2 essential support caregivers (€4,000): €45,000
- Phase 2 Treatment & Travel (February 2027): Personalised Vaccine Phase 2 (€26,000), medications/monitoring (€15,000), and travel for Debbie and 2 caregivers (€4,000): €45,000
- Completed Home Accessibility Adjustments: Building an emergency accessible bathroom completely out-of-pocket to ensure her safety at home: €13,000
- Ongoing Clinical Support: Uninsured expert consultations, second opinions, fuel for 4x annual diagnostic brain scans, and rising household utility bills during aggressive treatment: €5,000
- Long-term Maintenance: Continuous Dendritic Cell Therapy (2 phases per year) plus medical travel is estimated at €60,000 per year thereafter.
Debbie’s Timeline: A Crucial Roadmap
Debbie’s timeline is intense, and the windows to act are tight. Your support directly funds these exact milestones:
- 21 May – 02 July 2026: Combined Radiation & Oral Chemotherapy (Standard Care)
- 23 July – 30 July 2026: Dendritic Cell Therapy (Phase 1) in Germany
- 03 Aug 2026 – 03 Feb 2027: 6-Month Intensive Chemotherapy Block
- 24 Feb – 26 Feb 2027: Dendritic Cell Therapy (Phase 2) in Germany
- 01 Mar – 01 Sept 2027: 6-Month Maintenance Chemotherapy Block
- 23 Sept – 30 Sept 2027: Dendritic Cell Therapy (Phase 3) & ongoing booster phases every 6 months
Suggested Donation Tiers: What Your Kindness Covers
Every single euro brings Debbie closer to more years with her family. To understand how your generosity impacts her daily battle, consider these suggested amounts:
- €25 – Helps fund the fuel and travel costs for Debbie’s mandatory quarterly brain scans and clinical appointments.
- €100 – Contributes directly toward her specialised immune system tracking panels and daily supportive medications.
- €250 – Helps offset the out-of-pocket cost of specialised neuro-oncology consultations and expert second opinions.
- €500 – Directly funds a portion of the ultra-low temperature (-80°C) transport logistics required to safely ship her tumor cells to the laboratory in Germany.
- €1,000 – Covers a significant block of the flights and accessible accommodation required to get Debbie and her support team safely to Cologne for her therapeutic weeks.
Debbie has spent her whole life standing up for others, spreading humour in dark moments, and ensuring no one faces hardship alone. Now, she needs us to stand up for her.
Please donate if you can, share her story with your network, and keep Debbie in your thoughts. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us fight for her life.
Organizer
