A mother whose son, aged just 25, has been diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive terminal cancer says the support they have received to enable him to try immunotherapy abroad has been “a ray of light in a terrible nightmare.”
Rua McGlone first noted a weakness in his left leg in January this year. By March, he was in hospital and being advised he had a spinal tumour, but surgery was unsuccessful. Doctors then said that he had grade 4 Astrocytoma: an incurable spinal tumor which doesn’t react to chemotherapy.
“I can’t believe I am writing these words because it’s like a terrible nightmare that we can’t wake up from, but I’m setting up this fund so that we can bring my son, who is only 25, for Immunotherapy abroad,” his mother Sinéad McGlone wrote on Go Fund Me.
She said that when they first went to the hospital, they were sitting in A&E for 3 days, before Rua was advised he had a spinal tumor and was admitted to hospital.
“At the end of March he had a 6.5 hour surgery to try to remove the tumor but it was unsuccessful. Two months before Rua’s 25th birthday he was diagnosed with a grade 4 Astrocytoma, which basically is an incurable spinal tumor which doesn’t react to Chemo,” she wrote.
“Rua was a fantastic footballer as a child. So good he was on the majors for Shamrock rovers as a young teenager. He also had a great art talent, winning art competitions. He was actually one of those kids who excelled in any sport he tried, GAA, athletics,” she told Gript.
“You make all these plans, and then life comes along and gets in the way. We have looked into optional treatments in Ireland and abroad but treatment is limited for the type of tumor Rua has. Doctors told us it is a very rare and very aggressive tumor, and really just a matter of time.”
“Since there is no cure, Immunotherapy is our last hope to prolong his life,” Sinéad said.
“He is crazy about his niece Indie & nephew Freddie and them about him too. He always loves a good laugh, he’s an entertainer: he’s very popular as you can see by the response so far to the GoFundMe,” she said. “All that support has been a ray of light in this terrible nightmare.”
She said that Rua recently completed 28 sessions of radio therapy, in the hope it will shrink the tumor.
“This is why this GoFundMe campaign is so important,” she explained.
“Our lives have been shattered into a million pieces by this cancer diagnosis. It doesn’t feel real, but it would be such a gift to let him have this treatment,” she said.
“We’ve never asked for help before but this would mean the world to Rua and our family. We’d need to have two people with him for the trip, so even using our savings means we still need to raise €40,000,” she wrote.
“Anything that you can give would be such a huge help. Thank you so much for your kindness,” she said.
