Help Karate Neil Knock THREE Cancers Out!

Hello, my name is Caitlin, and we are hoping to raise funds to help pay towards my dad’s urgent cancer removal surgery. In September 2019 we received the devastating news that my dad, Neil, had been diagnosed with GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour), a rare cancer of the digestive tract. The tumour was very large, measuring 23cm x 15cm x 17cm, and was therefore classed as inoperable. Thankfully, a targeted cancer drug was available that aimed to reduce the size of the tumour to a more manageable size for surgical removal. The tumour started to shrink with the treatment, which was great news!

However, a few months later, we received the shocking news that my dad also had prostate cancer. He opted for prostatectomy in May 2020, as going through rounds of radiotherapy to kill the cancer cells would delay the continuation of his GIST treatment. We were so grateful that this surgery was possible through the NHS at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The surgery was successful, and he is thankfully now free of prostate cancer!

Unfortunately, in December 2020, my dad’s GIST tumour started to grow. It had become resistant to the drug, so he was offered surgery. After a very anxious day waiting for a phone call from the surgeon, I finally received the extremely disappointing news that the surgery had been unsuccessful as they could not remove the tumour at that time. This was devastating news for us all, as it meant that the cancer was now incurable, and any further treatment would be palliative. However, there wasn’t much time for us to process this.

A lesion on his small bowel was removed during the surgery, unbelievably, the test results showed that my dad had B-cell lymphoma, a high-grade (fast-growing) type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We were completely shocked; my dad had been diagnosed with 3 different primary cancers in less than 18 months! However, my dad being the amazing fighter that he is took the news of this third diagnosis on the chin and started an intense treatment of chemotherapy in February 2021. Like so many other families on this horrible cancer journey, it is extremely difficult to see someone you love, who you have always seen as fit and healthy, go through these treatments. My dad’s positivity, courage, and determination to fight these cancers helped us all to remain strong. We were so relieved to find out that the chemotherapy had been successful, and 2 years on he remains free from lymphoma!

My Dad and my sister, Victoria, celebrating the end of chemotherapy

However, after his chemotherapy was completed in May 2021, we were told that due to the GIST tumour being unresectable, my dad’s life expectancy was 1-2 years. He has since been on another targeted therapy drug to help keep the GIST cancer at bay. Watching my dad fight and beat 2 cancers, then hearing that it would be the GIST cancer- the first original cancer diagnosis- that was eventually going to take his life was extremely difficult to process. We sought an opinion from surgeons in London, who are highly experienced in treating and removing large GIST tumours. It was amazing news. They believe that my dad’s GIST can potentially be removed and that they could try using specialist robotic surgery to do so. Both myself and my sister, Victoria, his family and friends were all completely devastated when the funding for a planned operation to remove the tumour in London on the 30th of January was declined by NHS Lothian, just 2 weeks beforehand. Then, a few weeks ago, we were told that the tumour had started to grow again. The drug has stopped working, and with the current prognosis, my dad has only a few months left to live.

The successful removal of my dad’s GIST tumour could prolong his life by years, and potentially cure him of this awful disease, and it would be 3 cancers beat! Therefore, we are hoping to raise funds to help pay towards my dad’s operation. It will cost around £75,000 for the surgery, and to pay the costs of the specialist cancer surgeons, an anaesthetist, specialist surgery nurses, drugs, ICU, and the post-operative hospital care which could last around 3 weeks, as well as travel to and from clinics in London. It is a huge sum of money, but we would be so grateful if you could give what you can, no matter how small, to help towards funding my dad’s surgery.

About my dad:

My dad has dedicated 40 years of his life to the sport of karate attaining 5th Dan Black Belt and helping many children and adults get the benefit from the training, athleticism, and comradery that creates life-long friendships. He competed for Scotland and worldwide, becoming Scottish Champion and winning British Championship medals, and training with fantastic people including World Champions and top karate Sensei’s. Unbelievably, he still teaches karate classes today, and he would like to be able to continue to do so.

40 years karate friendship

Training for the European Championships back in the day!

Instructing a coaching session in Renfew

In my dad’s day job, he runs a very important charity that supports families who have devastatingly been affected by murder and suicide. Although this is a very difficult job at times, my dad has told me that it is very rewarding helping people in real need of support, especially at the most difficult time of their lives. Being the determined person that he is, my dad has continued to attend his work throughout his cancer treatments and would like to continue working to help bereaved families in the future.

My dad is a fighter through and through, and those who know him will agree that the strength and determination that my dad has shown in fighting these cancers over the last few years whilst remaining so positive has been truly inspirational. Many of the nurses and doctors whom we have met over the last few years agree. I vividly remember when one nurse, who helped my dad during a hospital admission, called me to tell me that she was amazed by his positivity and that his strength is truly admirable. I am forever proud of him. Throughout this rollercoaster journey, my dad has always told me to ‘prepare for the worst, and hope for the best’. Hope is what has got us through these difficult times. We still have hope.

My dad has spent a lot of his time supporting others, and now is the time for him to receive some support. We would be so grateful if you could help us to raise funds towards my dad’s surgery. He has so much more to achieve, and my sister and I have many more milestones in life that we want to be able to share with our dad in the future.