A £17,5000 gift to save sick Liam
Kind-hearted colleagues of a cancer sufferer have given up their Christmas gifts to pay £17,500 towards life-saving treatment.
Staff at automotive manufacturers ZF Peterlee have rallied round after fellow employee Liam Debbage was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer 16 months ago.
The Clear Cell Sarcoma is sorareitonlyaffectsabout200 people in the world – and was discoveredafterthe31-year-old injured his shoulder playing squash.
After diagnosis, dad-oftwo Liam was given the devastating news that there was no treatment available on the NHS and that he, his wife Michelle and their sons Oscar and Reece must prepare for the worst.
However, after researching the cancer, they found that a drug, Pembrolizumab, which is being used in clinical trials, has proved effective in treating Clear Cell Sarcoma in the US.
A fundraising drive was started to reach the £30,000 needed to begin treatment, which reached £15,000.
Now ZF Peterlee has said it will donate the £16,000 it would have spent on staff gifts, topped up by an extra £1,500 from bosses.
Liam, who lives with Michelle in Murton, said: “I cannot put into words what this means to me.”
Liam’sJustGivingpagecan be found here: https://www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/liam-debbage.