New teen fights for life after NHS no’
THE family of another teenager seriously ill with a rare kidney disease has launched an appeal to raise £30,000 a month to keep him alive after the NHS refused funding for Eculizumab.
Rugby- mad Benjamin Morgan- Brownhill was given a kidney by his mum Gemma but within weeks the disease returned.
Their renal consultant wants Benjamin to use Eculizumab.
The family, from Barry, South Wales, have tried the Welsh Assembly’s Individual Patient Funding Request system but were rejected.
Gemma said: “This leads both Benjamin, myself and my family to believe that our government does in fact put a price on a life.
“We still remain hopeful and will continue to push but until they say ‘yes’ then we have no option but to self-fund and ask the public to help us which is why we set up a GoFundMe page.”
They have raised over £6,000 in a week but still have a long way to go.
Benjamin, 17, a former full-back for Barry RFC, was struck down with scarlet fever three years ago and never properly recovered.
Doctors at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff carried out blood tests and he was eventually diagnosed with C3GN/ MPGN Type 1, which affects around one in a million people.
Gemma added: “I was able to give my son the best gift a mother could give and donated my kidney.
“Unfortunately, however, our happiness was shortlived and with 10 weeks the disease returned.”
To support Benjamin, go to https://www.gofundme. com/apriceonalife.