Family desperate to raise funds for cancer treatment for Wigan dad given months to live

Stephen Mayers, 59, from Ashton was diagnosed with Glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer – in August last year.

After undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in February the father-of-four and his family were told the tumour has progressed to half his brain and he has one maybe two months left.

Leading up to his diagnosis, Stephen had no symptoms and after he was found unresponsive by his partner doctors originally thought he had suffered a stroke.

Stephen’s sister Michelle Parkinson said: “On August 31, he’d come home from doing overtime at his job working as a HGV driver for St Helens Council.

"He lay on the settee and Angela his partner noticed he wasn’t waking up.

"She started shaking him and when he opened his eyes he started talking to her as if she was my mum who we lost during the pandemic four years ago.

"She called an ambulance and they thought it was a stroke so they blue lighted him to Whiston Hospital.

"The doctor in A&E came to me and said we think its a stroke, he could still walk but couldn’t talk.

"A few days later a consultant came and said it’s not a stroke we think its inflammation of the brain so he was put on antibiotics and steroids.

"Another consultant came a few days after and said ‘it’s not that we think it’s a brain tumour’ which was our worst fears.”

Stephen was referred to the Walton Centre where he underwent 13 biopsies which confirmed the glioblastoma was inoperable.

He was then referred to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and was given the chance to take part in a clinical trial which later fell through due to the cancer’s progression.

The family are now trying to fund Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) which is used to destroy cancer cells.

However it won’t be available on the NHS for a number of months.

They are trying to raise £50,000 to fund the operation along with any tests and scans.

So far more than £6,000 has been raised.

Michelle said: “I’ve been researching so much and asked the consultant at Clatterbridge what we can do.

"She said there was two things go on lomustine: a powerful chemo drug and agreed to refer us to Prof Ashkan in London for LITT.

"Dr Ashkan agreed to do it but you’d have to self fund it which is why we set up the fund-raiser.

"The next available appointment isn’t available until April and I’m praying my brother will be OK until then.

"I’ve since sourced a world-leading neurosurgeon who will do a remote medical review.

"My brother is absolutely shattered but he’s still walking up the road to visit me and my dad every day but his health is deteriorating.

"He’s withdrawn from everybody.

"We’re devastated, our family’s been torn apart.

"I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’m fighting for my brother’s life.

"He’s such a family man

"Everybody loves him.

"We’re such a close family, he’s got four step-children who he has brought up since they were babies, three grandchildren and three nephews who he’s close to.”

To donate visit: https://gofund.me/48b29db1