Our world imploded three years ago when our beloved Paul was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a stage 4 brain cancer.
He now needs your help to access potentially life-saving treatment in Germany and privately in the UK. For those of you who don’t know Paul, he’s a remarkable young man – exceptionally clever, endlessly kind, with a delightfully wicked sense of humor. He’s a writer, historian, philosopher, juggler, and dreamer – and, the real kicker, an aspiring neuroscientist. If irony is fate’s most common figure of speech, then Paul’s fate has been truly ironic. And the irony isn't lost on him!
At any given time, you’d find Paul buried in his neuroscience textbook, making connections between the brain and human reality - all while holding down a demanding corporate job. It felt bizarrely cruel when a malignant brain tumour appeared on the scene and interrupted years of hard work.
Paul wants to continue his studies. He wants to make a real impact on the future of neuroscience research, drawing upon his unique lived experience to help others in the same position as him. But to do this, he needs to survive.
Neuroscience aside, he’s also a deeply loved son, brother, and friend. We’re doing everything we can to save his life, but we can’t do it on our own.
Since his diagnosis, Paul’s given it his all to fight back and beat brain cancer. He’s endured more than 30 rounds of radiotherapy and 20 months total of chemotherapy, embarked on a strict medical keto diet, followed an extensive supplement regimen, and attended countless hospital appointments and scans. We’ll never cease to be amazed by Paul’s grit and determination, but now he desperately needs to explore new treatment avenues to help him to prolong his life and act on his dream of helping others.
Facts About Paul’s Diagnosis:
- He has glioblastoma: An aggressive and life-limiting form of brain cancer, with a grim prognosis for far too many
- The tumour is IDH Wild Type: This means that if left to its own devices, it will continue to grow and spread
- But it is also MGMT methylated: This means that it is more likely to be stopped in its tracks by the medications on offer to date
- The tumour has a name: He named the mass Benjamin Button in the hope that it would shrink. It did just that - disappearing from sight for a year, until it came back in May 2023. Our wish is that the tumour “benjamin buttons” itself right back into obscurity
Why Paul Needs Your Help:
Shockingly, the standard of care treatment for brain cancer offered by the NHS in the UK hasn’t evolved in decades – despite brain tumors killing more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. There are complementary and potentially life-saving treatments available elsewhere, but they don’t come cheap, nor are they nearby.
Paul’s current treatments will stabilize his condition, but they won’t cure him or prolong his life so that he can enjoy more time with family and friends and make a difference in the field of neuroscience or neuropsychology, as he had hoped.
With the help of Paul’s medical team, we’re building a treatment plan that will give him the best possible chance of long-term survival.
In Germany as well as privately in the UK, our plan is to access treatments like:
- Avastin: Shrinks inflammation around the tumour, making Paul eligible for immunotherapies. It also cuts off the blood supply to the tumour so it can't get nutrients and oxygen, causing it to shrink
- TACE Treatment: Targeted chemotherapy injected directly into the blood vessel that feeds the tumour – available in Germany
- Immunotherapy/Vaccine Therapy: Will use Paul’s immune system to fight the cancer, helping the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells – available in Germany
Since tumours are ever-evolving by nature, his treatments are also likely to evolve. We must be agile and will pivot based on what Paul’s doctors deem most appropriate at the time.
When we first launched this GoFundMe page, so many people responded with great generosity. Our hearts have been touched by the overwhelming support we received. We raised nearly £25,000, and, with gratitude, are using the funds this month to kickstart Paul’s treatment.
But we hugely underestimated the total cost of treatments. With new direction from Paul’s team, we now estimate their total cost at £200,000. The sum is eye-watering, but we’re confident we can do it with your support.
How You Can Help:
- Donate if you can: Every pound gets Paul a little bit closer to getting this life-saving treatment – we cannot thank you enough.
- Share Paul’s story: Please help raise awareness of our campaign by sharing this story with your friends and online.
- Do a fun fundraiser in Paul’s name: Boost Paul's morale by showing solidarity through a sponsored walk, pub crawl, bake sale, or dinner party. The possibilities are endless – get in touch to receive a fundraising pack to support your efforts.
Your donations will go directly towards Paul’s treatment, associated costs and care. If we raise more money than we need, we’ll donate the excess to brain tumour research or another person in the same position as Paul.
Paul is facing the battle of his life. Please help us help him fight it.
We’re characterizing this campaign with an eagle - Paul’s favourite animal as a child, and a symbol of strength, courage, victory, and rebirth. They soar, they weather the storm, and they overcome.
We will do everything in our power to help Paul ‘Soar for a Cure’.
Organiser
Anna Redgrave
Organiser