MATTS CANCER-His insurance company have failed him

MATT’S STORY

Matt McCabe is a 65 year old amazing father, doting grandfather and husband. He has spent his life as a dedicated care worker and former coach builder and has worked extremely hard all of his life. His grandson Oliver is his absolute world! We wonder if you could help at all regarding the set of cruel rollercoaster of circumstances that have arisen. 

After a few months of feeling extremely tired, lethargic and noticing a few other symptoms, Lynne, his wife managed to talk Matt  (a typical bloke!) to go the GP to be checked out. Blood tests were carried out and as the bloods done at the GPs came back as abnormal, the GP saw him for the results and noted he was severely jaundiced. On the 2nd July 2020 he was admitted to hospital.

As an inpatient he had a CT scan on the Saturday and on Sunday 5th July 2020, alone in hospital, due to not being able to have any family to be by his side because of Covid, Matt was told the horrendous news that the CT had found a tumour within his pancreas. At this time it looked like it was just within the head of the pancreas and it had no involvement with any other organs so it looked like he had a good chance to have treatment. He was then discharged home.

5 days later at Blackpool he had an ERCP to look into controlling the blockage in his bile duct and had two stents fitted. Luckily, these worked amazingly and my dad was feeling much better despite the circumstances and the jaundice disappeared.

After seeing the consultant, who was at the specialist centre in Blackburn on 14th July 2020 he opted and was listed to go for the surgery offered in attempt to get this ‘monster’ in his words out of him, the ‘Whipples’ procedure.

The devastating news
However, on 17th August 2020 our life completely flipped upside down.  After Matt was down to have the surgery, 2 hours later Lynne received the devastating news via phone call from the consultant surgeon himself...who stated they could not go ahead with the surgery as planned and there was nothing that they could do but take biopsies..as, when opening him up, they found that the cancer has spread to his liver and lymph nodes and the tumour was now large within the pancreas, it therefore meant he was now terminal and he has been given MONTHS to live. Cue absolute inexplicable devastation :( 

Treatment
He was fast tracked for chemotherapy in attempt to shrink the tumour and so far he has had 6 treatments, but the outlook unfortunately is bleak as per terminal prognosis and the chemo is an attempt to prolong his life as much as physically possible. He has also had some nasty side effects and has been admitted for an infection which of course comes part and parcel with the treatment has facing. 

We are all so proud
He has been amazingly brave and strong. We are all so so proud of his positivity and strength! Every day we FaceTime him and the highlight of his day is speaking to his best mate, his 3 year old grandson Oliver who he is pictured with above.

WHY THIS HAS BEEN SET UP:

So...
Unbelievably, to add even more stress and upset(like they need anything else right now)....when looking into their life insurance, despite Matt being given a terminal metastatic cancer diagnosis and having terminal cover, due to a disgusting hidden clause in his insurance policy and all because the terminal diagnosis is within the last 12 months of the policy....the insurance company have refused to pay out. This is currently being taken on by the financial ombudsman, but it’s not looking hopeful at all and they are standing completely firm on their decision. 

Newer policies do NOT have this written in:
To add to even more frustration and upset, it turns out that newer policies from 2016 onwards do not have this nasty clause written into it, which of course makes it all the more disgusting!

What it would have meant:
The terminal illness policy payout would have helped them so much, as Matt of course cannot now go back to work, so I am therefore fundraising in order to try and make the amount they would have been paid out...had the insurance company paid out what they should have done. I also know he would love even just a break away somewhere(if covid allows) as a family with the small time he has left in between his chemotherapy stints too to make some precious memories :( 

Matt is a very proud man, but I am asking if you can please help them in fighting this battle and helping them, no matter how small it would be hugely appreciated, with this absolute hell they are going through and even to just share for awareness please. Having this on top of everything else is just the last thing they need right now as you can imagine and if anything, to make their life that little bit easier. 

Lots of love and gratitude in advance,

Friends and family of Matthew McCabe

xxx