A teacher struck down by a devastating cancer diagnosis has been overwhelmed after friends and family raised £16K for treatment in just two weeks.
Kate Amin, 36, was diagnosed with bowel cancer and secondary liver cancer in March this year and underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
However, her hubby Nathen Amin says they were hoping to boost her chances of survival with an alternative drug Avastin – which is currently not provided on the NHS.
Desperate to help her friend afford the expensive drugs, which cost £1,500 for each try, Kate’s friend Lucy Chapman created a JustGiving page to raise money to pay for the pioneering treatment.
But in just 16 days, friends, family and strangers have donated to Kate’s cause and raised a whopping £16,000.
This has allowed her to start the first round of treatment and take her cancer fight to the next level.
Nathen, 31, said: “Unfortunately the treatment we have had so far has not worked as we would have liked so we’re hoping to boost Kate’s latest cycle of chemotherapy with this drug which isn’t available on the NHS.
“We are incredibly thankful for all the support given so far, and Kate in particular is overwhelmed on a daily basis by the generosity of friends, family and even strangers.”
The drug Avastin works by blocking the protein and stopping cancer from growing blood vessels, making it starve and unable to grow.
Experts say there is enough evidence that this treatment could help Kate – but the NHS say the drug is not cost effective for them to administer.
A minimum of six sessions of the drug are required and cost £1,500 each.
Kate’s friend Lucy said: “I think we all have wanted for a long time to feel like we can do something to help her but that’s the thing about cancer, everyone feels so helpless.
“This was one way everyone could be useful and simultaneously show Kate that we care.”
Asked the reason why the drug was not fully funded on the NHS, she added: “There is some evidence to suggest that it can help.
“However, the company who make the drug have made it so expensive that despite evidence to show it could help – it’s not deemed cost effective.
“They [the NHS] have to spend money where it’s going to help the most, save the most, lengthen the most and enrich the most lives.
“It’s not fair – but is the only logical way to allocate funding.”
Kate married Nathan in a Christmas-themed wedding two years prior to the devastating diagnosis.
She loves Christmas so much that the couple also celebrate a half-Christmas in July.
To donate cash to Kate’s cancer fight, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/help-kate-kick-cancer.
