Islington Tribune - News: Sponsored cycle raises £20k for Gary

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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 16 November 2007

Gary Russell

Sponsored cycle raises £20k for Gary

SPONSORED cyclists came to the aid of cancer victim Gary Russell, who will die without life-saving treatment, after he was featured in the Tribune.
Almost 50 people took part in the event weekend which is expected to raise at least £20,000.
Father of four Gary, 36, a surveyor with Keir-Islington – the private firm who carry out Islington council’s housing maintenance – could die within months from advanced bowel cancer unless he receives Avastin, described as a new immunotherapy “wonder” drug.
A major campaign has been launched on Gary’s behalf after he was told that he has to pay for the treatment himself because it was too expensive for the NHS.
He is now waiting for a decision by the Islington Primary Care Trust, who are to consider funding the treatment that can cost up to £100,000 a year.
Current research suggests that one in nine patients has been cleared of cancer even when it has spread to their livers by a combination of the drug and chemotherapy.
Avastin works by attacking the blood vessels which feed a tumour, thereby starving it of nutrients and causing it to shrink. Despite this, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) ruled in January this year that local health care trusts should not make it available on the NHS because it was “not cost-effective”.
Gary thanked everyone who took part in the sponsored ride. “It was a great effort and I really appreciated it,” he said.
“We even got a pledge of a donation following the Tribune story.”
Further charity events are being planned, including a charity football match on November 30 at Tooting and Mitchum FC and a Race Night at Rosy McCanns pub in York Way, Kings Cross on December 1.
Contact Andy Jeffreys on 07904 934 684 (andy.jeffreys@kier.co.uk) or Andy Butcher on 07904 934 539 (andrew.butcher@kier.co.uk.)

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