Save Paul From Cancer
Donation protected
It is March 2017 and the daffodils are out on the Bar Walls in York, sunshine too. For everyone in York this is the sign of Spring having sprung and a wave of optimism spreads over the City.
My name is Paul Thomas-Peter, I'm 59 and I was born and bred in York.
If my oncologist had been correct in 2015 I wouldn't be sitting on this seat today with that wonderful display of daffodils behind me.
I need your help to try and ensure this isn't the last time I see the daffodils on York Bar Walls.
In late 2013 I was diagnosed with a minor skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) on my right temple. In January 2014 it was removed and I was told not to worry as it very rarely spreads.
By April 2014 it had started spreading through my lymph system and in August I went through 7 hours of surgery to remove the lymph nodes from the right side of my neck. From September to November 2014 I went through daily radiotherapy together with 2 hefty doses of chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, in April 2015 I was told that my cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in my chest, it was terminal, the only treatment available was palliative chemotherapy to ease my symptoms and I had between 3 and 18 months left to live.
I have never accepted that there was nothing that could be done (because I'm a stubborn Yorkshireman) so I have researched my condition, tried many alternative and complementary therapies and have continued to look for something that might help. The details are in my blog Trying To Beat Cancer
Although some of the things I tried definitely slowed the progress of my cancer, nothing got rid of it.
In the latter half of 2016 we began to hear about a new treatment called immunotherapy and read of the amazing successes being achieved, particularly on people with my or similar forms of cancer.
This treatment is slowly becoming available in the UK, but only to patients with specific forms of cancer where clinical trials have shown some success. This doesn't include my form of cancer and by the time it does become available it will be too late for me. I need this treatment now.
In January 2017 we heard about the Hallwang clinic in Germany and contacted them immediately. My diagnosis and previous scan results were sent to them and they were enthusiatic that they could help me but needed to test my tissue samples first. My tissue samples were sent to them and tested and they were more enthusiastic that they could help, even mentioning the words "full remission".
They put together a treatment plan for me which included 3 immunotherapy treatments, so my wife and I flew across and spent a week there getting the treatment that I just cannot get in the UK. I have to return every 3 weeks for 3 months (but only for a couple of days at a time) in order to complete the minimum course of treatment.
Treatment at the Hallwang Clinic is not cheap, mainly due to the cost of the drugs involved. That first visit cost us around £60,000 and each successive visit will cost us around £25,000.
To pay for this I have used my Army pension lump sum, I am emptying my other personal pension funds, I am turning any other savings into cash and I'm selling my beloved Northern Soul record collection.
But I don't know if this will be enough to complete the course of treatment. So I've decided to try and raise some additional funds using this platform. It goes against the grain a bit to ask people for money as I've always been fiercely independent, but this treatment may well save my life.
All the funds raised will go towards my treatment at The Hallwang Clinic. Please help if you can.
My wife Helen and I have been married for 37 years now and we've always done everything together. She was with me through most of my 16 years Army service moving round the world, then we spent some time in London (doing careers!) before moving back to Yorkshire and eventually York. We do everything together and were looking forward to enjoying our retirement after over 40 years of work. Instead Helen has ended up as my carer.
We'd like to think that if we get through this we can still enjoy our retirement and I can be active again. We've regularly enjoyed hillwalking, sailing, skiing and touring in our camper van. We go to Cyprus every year for a late summer holiday in September and this year's is booked, I hope I get to go with her.
I can't put into words how grateful we will both be for any donations as it is difficult to express how much the possibility of surviving this means to us both.
If you can, please help us.
My name is Paul Thomas-Peter, I'm 59 and I was born and bred in York.
If my oncologist had been correct in 2015 I wouldn't be sitting on this seat today with that wonderful display of daffodils behind me.
I need your help to try and ensure this isn't the last time I see the daffodils on York Bar Walls.
In late 2013 I was diagnosed with a minor skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma of the skin) on my right temple. In January 2014 it was removed and I was told not to worry as it very rarely spreads.
By April 2014 it had started spreading through my lymph system and in August I went through 7 hours of surgery to remove the lymph nodes from the right side of my neck. From September to November 2014 I went through daily radiotherapy together with 2 hefty doses of chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, in April 2015 I was told that my cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in my chest, it was terminal, the only treatment available was palliative chemotherapy to ease my symptoms and I had between 3 and 18 months left to live.
I have never accepted that there was nothing that could be done (because I'm a stubborn Yorkshireman) so I have researched my condition, tried many alternative and complementary therapies and have continued to look for something that might help. The details are in my blog Trying To Beat Cancer
Although some of the things I tried definitely slowed the progress of my cancer, nothing got rid of it.
In the latter half of 2016 we began to hear about a new treatment called immunotherapy and read of the amazing successes being achieved, particularly on people with my or similar forms of cancer.
This treatment is slowly becoming available in the UK, but only to patients with specific forms of cancer where clinical trials have shown some success. This doesn't include my form of cancer and by the time it does become available it will be too late for me. I need this treatment now.
In January 2017 we heard about the Hallwang clinic in Germany and contacted them immediately. My diagnosis and previous scan results were sent to them and they were enthusiatic that they could help me but needed to test my tissue samples first. My tissue samples were sent to them and tested and they were more enthusiastic that they could help, even mentioning the words "full remission".
They put together a treatment plan for me which included 3 immunotherapy treatments, so my wife and I flew across and spent a week there getting the treatment that I just cannot get in the UK. I have to return every 3 weeks for 3 months (but only for a couple of days at a time) in order to complete the minimum course of treatment.
Treatment at the Hallwang Clinic is not cheap, mainly due to the cost of the drugs involved. That first visit cost us around £60,000 and each successive visit will cost us around £25,000.
To pay for this I have used my Army pension lump sum, I am emptying my other personal pension funds, I am turning any other savings into cash and I'm selling my beloved Northern Soul record collection.
But I don't know if this will be enough to complete the course of treatment. So I've decided to try and raise some additional funds using this platform. It goes against the grain a bit to ask people for money as I've always been fiercely independent, but this treatment may well save my life.
All the funds raised will go towards my treatment at The Hallwang Clinic. Please help if you can.
My wife Helen and I have been married for 37 years now and we've always done everything together. She was with me through most of my 16 years Army service moving round the world, then we spent some time in London (doing careers!) before moving back to Yorkshire and eventually York. We do everything together and were looking forward to enjoying our retirement after over 40 years of work. Instead Helen has ended up as my carer.
We'd like to think that if we get through this we can still enjoy our retirement and I can be active again. We've regularly enjoyed hillwalking, sailing, skiing and touring in our camper van. We go to Cyprus every year for a late summer holiday in September and this year's is booked, I hope I get to go with her.
I can't put into words how grateful we will both be for any donations as it is difficult to express how much the possibility of surviving this means to us both.
If you can, please help us.
Organizer
Paul Thomas-Peter
Organizer
