Help Save Our Dad
Donation protected
Help Save Our Dad – Martyn Hopkins
“Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy”
Our Dad is tremendously special. He has always been there for us as a loving father, supporting our family in every part of our lives. He is honest, wise, he works hard, he is a good friend, he makes us laugh, he sees the best in people and importantly, he loves life!
He has worked so very hard in his life to provide for us, he has always been a gentle, positive and entertaining person – always handy with a joke or a ditty to bring a smile to your face. He has taught us excellent values and has always cheered us on for all our accomplishments.
....If a man’s success is measured by how much his children love him, he is the most successful man ever. .....
You never imagine you may face losing someone so special to you…
In June 2018, Dad started to feel unwell and, thinking it was a water infection, went to the doctor for antibiotics. Shortly afterwards, blood tests revealed a PSA score of 441 indicating a problem – the doctor arranged for him to see a consultant.
After the consultant examined him, he was certain it was cancer. After having scans, we received the news that he had prostate cancer which had spread to his lymph nodes, pelvis and spine.
The consultants advised dad that they couldn’t cure this; they could only buy him time – initially we were told 5-10 years, but following a biopsy, it was revealed that he has a rare sub-type of cancer (Ductal Adenocarcinoma) which is unusually aggressive, leaving us with the prognosis of 3-5 years.
As this type of cancer affects so few people, there is very little research into it, resulting in few and uncertain options for sufferers of it.
Treatment via the NHS consists only of chemotherapy and hormone treatment, but it is known that these therapies are less effective against Ductal Adenocarcinoma and generate potentially horrible side effects for very little time gain.
Dad researched treatments available elsewhere and came across a type of Immunotherapy offered in Beijing, where cells are manipulated to make them directly fight the cancer cells and turn the body’s own immune system against the cancer. Whilst this is a new treatment, it is not without scientific backing – even the NHS is starting to use it but only for children with very advanced Leukaemia when all other treatments have failed.
Also available in Beijing is a treatment called Cryotherapy, which consists of inserting probes into the cancer tumour and alternates between deep freezing and super heating the tumour, until it dies. The Immunotherapy is then used to mop up any residual cancer cells and deal with the bone cancer.
Whilst there are no guarantees, the prognosis is a long-term remission and offers more hope than is available from treatments in the UK.
(These treatments are available in places in Europe but at very significantly higher cost).
As it is, the treatment is going to cost £40,000 – a cost out of our league.
We want to work together to raise the money for Dad to be able to have his treatment in Beijing to give him a better quality of life and to give us a lot more time with him. We have to act fast as the longer we leave Dad untreated, the more the cancer can spread! As ever with cancer, time is not on our side.
We have set up this page and ask please that you help us by donating to our cause. We will also be arranging other fundraising activities along the way that you may be able to get involved in. Any additional funds raised over what we need will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK for further research into the treatment and cure of Prostate Cancer.
Thank you for taking the time to read this page – any help is gratefully and humbly received. Even sharing this page with friends, who you know will be interested, will help us so much!
Please help us save our daddy.
“Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a daddy”
Our Dad is tremendously special. He has always been there for us as a loving father, supporting our family in every part of our lives. He is honest, wise, he works hard, he is a good friend, he makes us laugh, he sees the best in people and importantly, he loves life!
He has worked so very hard in his life to provide for us, he has always been a gentle, positive and entertaining person – always handy with a joke or a ditty to bring a smile to your face. He has taught us excellent values and has always cheered us on for all our accomplishments.
....If a man’s success is measured by how much his children love him, he is the most successful man ever. .....
You never imagine you may face losing someone so special to you…
In June 2018, Dad started to feel unwell and, thinking it was a water infection, went to the doctor for antibiotics. Shortly afterwards, blood tests revealed a PSA score of 441 indicating a problem – the doctor arranged for him to see a consultant.
After the consultant examined him, he was certain it was cancer. After having scans, we received the news that he had prostate cancer which had spread to his lymph nodes, pelvis and spine.
The consultants advised dad that they couldn’t cure this; they could only buy him time – initially we were told 5-10 years, but following a biopsy, it was revealed that he has a rare sub-type of cancer (Ductal Adenocarcinoma) which is unusually aggressive, leaving us with the prognosis of 3-5 years.
As this type of cancer affects so few people, there is very little research into it, resulting in few and uncertain options for sufferers of it.
Treatment via the NHS consists only of chemotherapy and hormone treatment, but it is known that these therapies are less effective against Ductal Adenocarcinoma and generate potentially horrible side effects for very little time gain.
Dad researched treatments available elsewhere and came across a type of Immunotherapy offered in Beijing, where cells are manipulated to make them directly fight the cancer cells and turn the body’s own immune system against the cancer. Whilst this is a new treatment, it is not without scientific backing – even the NHS is starting to use it but only for children with very advanced Leukaemia when all other treatments have failed.
Also available in Beijing is a treatment called Cryotherapy, which consists of inserting probes into the cancer tumour and alternates between deep freezing and super heating the tumour, until it dies. The Immunotherapy is then used to mop up any residual cancer cells and deal with the bone cancer.
Whilst there are no guarantees, the prognosis is a long-term remission and offers more hope than is available from treatments in the UK.
(These treatments are available in places in Europe but at very significantly higher cost).
As it is, the treatment is going to cost £40,000 – a cost out of our league.
We want to work together to raise the money for Dad to be able to have his treatment in Beijing to give him a better quality of life and to give us a lot more time with him. We have to act fast as the longer we leave Dad untreated, the more the cancer can spread! As ever with cancer, time is not on our side.
We have set up this page and ask please that you help us by donating to our cause. We will also be arranging other fundraising activities along the way that you may be able to get involved in. Any additional funds raised over what we need will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK for further research into the treatment and cure of Prostate Cancer.
Thank you for taking the time to read this page – any help is gratefully and humbly received. Even sharing this page with friends, who you know will be interested, will help us so much!
Please help us save our daddy.
Organizer and beneficiary
Eliza Florence Robert
Organizer
Martyn Hopkins
Beneficiary