An ‘amazing’ dad-of-two was told he had terminal cancer just two weeks after getting married. Recruitment consultant Florian Tushi was diagnosed with stage four terminal stomach cancer after marrying his fiancé of five years, Sarah, in May.
The couple, who have been together for 10 years were forced to delay their wedding twice due to Covid. Florian, 35, and Sarah - who have two daughters nine-month-old Olivia and four-year-old Isabella - initially put his crippling stomach pains and weight loss down to the stress of planning the wedding during the pandemic.
Sarah’s twin sister, Emily-Jane Maybin, from Staffordshire, said: “It’s crushing because it’s meant to be the happiest time of their life, they finally got married. They’ve got two beautiful little girls and then this devastating news.
“It was the worst possible news. He has always worked and looked after his kids, he is an amazing father and partner.
“I’ve got a little boy and I was on my own up until I met my partner and Flo took him on like he was his own. It’s heartbreaking and horrible.”
Emily-Jane says the Royal Stoke University Hospital can’t do more to help Florian but the family have been to Turkey where they have been told the cancer can be ‘cured’ through a gastrectomy procedure. Sarah and Florian flew out on Sunday (August 14) ahead of the procedure which is due to take place on Tuesday (August 16), according to Stoke-On-Trent Live.
The procedure is expected to cost around £50,000. A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for the treatment has already reached over £20k in less than 24 hours of it being created.
Emily-Jane said: “He has to have a full removal of the stomach and he will have HIPEC chemo in Turkey too. They said he qualifies for this procedure and they are confident it will cure him.
“He will never be the same again because it’s a major surgery but I can’t put into words how important this is. My sister could grow old with her husband and my nieces get to grow up with their dad, everyone deserves that.
“I set the page up in the hope of raising anything to ease the burden. Thank you for giving my nieces a chance to have their dad and my sister to have the wedding bliss she deserves.
“It’s an awful disease and we are going to fight with every ounce for him to get the treatment he needs. There’s nothing we won’t do.”
Dr Matthew Lewis, UHNM Medical Director said: “We are unable to comment on a specific case as this would breach patient confidentiality. However, I can confirm that our clinical teams follow national guidance and as an NHS organisation we are committed to doing the best for patients by following the established and clinically evidenced treatments.
“We will always support our patients through their healthcare journey.” Support the fundraising appeal here.
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