A family is doing everything in its power to pay for a mum's aggressive skin cancer treatment that costs £32,000 a time. Britt Rhodes, 53, was diagnosed with stage four Melanoma in March last year after struggling to identify what was making her condition worse.
After trying a number of different therapies through the NHS, her continued to progress. So Britt and sisters Kirsten and Tina decided that ground-breaking immunotherapy treatment would give her the best chance of leading a normal life.
She had already sampled the treatment but had to suspend it because of a bout of pneumonia. Because of its cost, NHS regulations meant she could not resume the treatment and instead had to find a private provider, reports YorkshireLive.
Britt said: "Unfortunately I was suffering with pneumonia as well when I first had the immunotherapy treatment and my lungs collapsed so I came off of it. I don't think the immunotherapy had time to work."
The family said they had appealed to the NHS and to drug producer but neither had been able to help. Britt's sister Kirsten explained: "The NHS has strict rules which state that you cannot go back to this treatment once you’ve already had it. In other countries patients can go back and forth between targeted therapy and immunotherapy but sadly this is not the case in the UK.
"Our only option now to save her life or at least prolong it is to privately fund this treatment at the amazing Christie Hospital in Manchester."
So far family and friends have managed to fund £64,000 towards two sessions but they are now reaching out for help funding the next stage. Kirsten said: "Immunotherapy is a relatively new type of treatment and the pharmaceutical companies spent a lot of time and money researching it. I'm assuming that's why it costs so much.
"It's liquid gold this stuff. It effectively builds your immune system to recognise the cancer cells. It can take some time but have incredible results. It's the gold standard for what she needs."
Kirsten and Tina have set up a fundraiser page for the remaining two sessions which has so far received £7,550. The donations include from children and friends of Britt's two daughters, aged 16 and 18.
Speaking from hospital, Britt said: "It's amazing. People have been so kind and generous. I can never accept how people feel about me. It's so overwhelming."
Kirsten added: "It's a horrendous situation to be in where the treatment that could make the difference is not available. But I guess the NHS can only do so much. It's down to money at the end of the day.
"Britt is not only our sister, but an incredible mother to her two young girls, wonderful wife to her husband Simon, a loving daughter to her elderly parents and a brilliant friend to many."
To view the GoFundMe page or donate, click here.
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