A Dublin grandad-of-two has pleaded for help to get his wife life-saving treatment for her brain tumour.
Lucan man Patrick White's wife, Margaret, was diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma which is an aggressive form of cancer in January.
Despite undergoing surgery and radiotherapy, Margaret's tumour has continued to grow and her family is hoping to raise enough funds to get her immunotherapy.
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Pat told Dublin Live: "It started when she started stuttering her words. She would say, 'Can I have that…that thing over there?'.
"She was unable to articulate words and couldn't pronounce things. There was too much for ‘that thing over there’. It was really then that we realised she needs to be taken to the doctor."
Margaret underwent surgery at Beaumont Hospital where they managed to take out 70% of her tumour.
Pat said they had to leave the rest because it was attached to healthy brain tissue.
Margaret slowly started to improve but her luck didn't last for long as she was back in Beaumont a few weeks later.
Pat said: "They suggested chemotherapy but she was too weak for it so she had to do radiotherapy."
Sadly Margaret could only do 22 out of the 30 radiotherapy sessions as her health deteriorated even further.
It was also at this time that doctors told her family that the tumour had grown.
Pat said: "They stopped the radiation because it wasn’t working. We’ve had her home the last two weeks.
"They told me I had the option of moving her to a nursing home or taking her home. I took her home and we’ve been looking after her ever since.
"Margaret needs 24/7 care. There has to be someone in the house for her. She can’t walk without the assistance of two people. She can’t feed herself. She can drink a little bit. Basically, she can’t do much. So we look after her whenever the home helpers aren’t there."
Speaking fondly of his wife of nearly 40 years, Pat said: "Margaret would always be in good spirits. She was very active. She'd go on multiple walks during the day. She was never down in the dumps. She was a very pleasant person."
Now the White family has launched a fundraiser to raise enough money to pay for immunotherapy which is a type of treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.
You can donate here to help Pat pay for this much-needed life-saving treatment for Margaret.
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