“We have been stressing so much over how we were going to pay to help keep me alive, now we have a way.”
A newlywed battling an aggressive tumour has been left “overwhelmed” after a fundraising drive for life-extending treatment smashed £125,000 in just three days.
Bryan Peterson, 49, and wife Karlin were braced for an uncertain financial fight to fund pioneering immunotherapy treatment in Germany after he received a stage 4 Glioblastoma diagnosis on July 10 last year.
The couple, from Shetland, cried tears of joy after an incredible response from the public on a GoFundMe page.
Bryan, an independent councillor for Shetland South, admitted he was reluctant to launch the donations page, fearing it would burden others.
But speaking from his home, he told the Record: “We have been stressing so much over how we were going to pay to help keep me alive, now we have a way.”
Bryan’s devastating diagnosis came after a seizure at work. He was rushed to hospital on the island where MRI scans revealed a lesion on his brain.
He underwent brain surgery, which he was awake for, in Aberdeen, and began chemotherapy – but was given between just 12 and 16 months to live.
He recalled: “I had my seizure and immediately had an MRI. They noticed a lesion on my brain. They didn’t frighten us with the word cancer but one month later, on my wedding anniversary, we were told it was a cancerous tumour.
“When the life expectancy was laid out to us, my wife was shattered and bawling her eyes out. That’s when it became real.
“She was so upset but that’s when you have two decisions; fight on or fall away. We chose to fight.”
Now, the couple are pinning their hopes on cutting-edge immunotherapy at a specialist clinic in Cologne, Germany – a treatment not available on the NHS.
The treatment involves a personalised vaccine designed using Bryan’s own tumour cells, offering hope of extending his life beyond current expectations.
But the couple face medical bills upwards of £100,000 for the first six-month treatment. They launched a fundraiser to raise £150,000 to cover their costs, including ongoing care, travel and monitoring.
Bryan admits predicting how much time it could give him is difficult. He continued: “It is such a personalised treatment so it’s difficult to give an accurate number of months or years which receiving this procedure can add to my lifespan.
“It should add at least double what I was predicted to live through the NHS.
“We were trying to fight on as much as we could ourselves but the Shetland community has been amazing. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude and relief. We have raised £125,000 in three days, it’s crazy.
“I was hesitant at first because I didn’t want to burden people with my family problem.
“My wife is a jeweller who even made Kate Middleton’s wedding earrings. She had to leave work early on Friday because she was crying so much at everyone’s generosity.”
After his immunotherapy, Bryan will move onto the next phase of treatment, which involves keeping on top of the forever mutating tumour and adjusting the treatments to suit, which will continue for the duration of his life.
To donate to the fundraiser, visit their GoFundMe page here.
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