Woman pleads for help through crowdfunding for her husband’s treatment

Image source: gofundme.com

A woman has been giving her best efforts to save her husband whose health has been rapidly declining since being diagnosed with brain tumour.

Rohima Mughal’s husband Mohsin, 42, was diagnosed with a brain tumour, later identified as an inoperable grade 4 glioblastoma (GBM) in May this year, on the day of their 15^th wedding anniversary.

A resident of Luton, Mohsin was working as a specialist biomedical engineer and had been suffering with pains in his shoulder and foot, a loss of hearing, muddled words and confusion.

The father of three was later diagnosed and has since undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy, however, he continues to suffer from fatigue, debilitating joint pains and confusion.

Mohsin now plans to travel to Germany to benefit from a life-prolonging treatment. But, the only thing standing in his way is that the treatment is very expensive and unaffordable for the desperate family. This has led to them opting for asking for help through crowdfunding instead.

Working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to inform people of the dire situation, Rohoma said, “I’d already been searching the world far and wide for different treatments after finding out his tumour was wildtype and unmethylated, so less likely to respond effectively to chemo drugs, but now we know it hasn’t worked, this is more urgent than ever.

“There are some good treatment options in the US, but we are not able to get insurance to take Mohsin there. However, I’ve found IOZK Immunotherapy and CeGat in Germany, which are extremely expensive and would need to be started soon.

“IOZK offers a personalised therapy, which aims to mobilise the body’s own immune response, so that it can fight against the growth of the tumour. It costs an estimated £100,000 – £116,000 and can start around four weeks after the end of chemo, so we’re looking to get Mohsin there for the first week of October.

“We have been told he is currently a good candidate because his mobility isn’t too affected, something some people wrongly assume means he isn’t as sick as he is. However, if his mobility and symptoms deteriorate further, this treatment may no longer be accessible, and so we cannot wait.

“CeGat uses genetic tumour diagnostics to tailor individual treatments and costs around £60,000. Researching everything has been a bit of a minefield, but we have paid for private consultants to get impartial opinions about the best course of action and hope these options will allow Mohsin more time to watch his children grow up.”

She added, “It’s been very stressful and I’ve lost a lot of weight and sleep as a result. I live in a world of doubt and constant uncertainty now, always wondering if I’m doing the right thing and not wanting to fail Mohsin or our children.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated so far. Their support has given us the hope and strength to keep fighting. It’s overwhelming to think so many loved ones and strangers would want to help our little family.

“We’re humbled by everyone’s generosity but the reality is that the costs of private treatment are astronomical and we still have a long way to go to be able to afford it.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said, “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

“This historic lack of investment in research has resulted in very limited treatment options for brain tumour patients here in the UK. “This leaves families like Mohsin’s feeling they have no option but to fund expensive treatments abroad, adding to their stress and anxiety at what is likely already the most difficult time in their lives. This is an outrageous situation and our hearts go out to them.”