‘No one should have to sacrifice their family home’
06:00, 30 Jan 2026Updated 06:22, 30 Jan 2026
The couple have been forced to sell their family home in order to pay for treatment that’s not on the NHS(Image: Supplied)
A Derbyshire couple have made the devastating decision to sell their family home in order to pay for rare cancer treatment – something they’ve said is “mind-blowing” to see in 2026.
Chesterfield’s Gav Melen was just 35 when he was told he had “months, not years” to live by his doctor, after he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma IDH Wild-Type, a primary stage-four brain cancer in early 2024.
He was also told that his tumour had an unmethylated MGMT status, meaning the cancer would not respond to the only standard of care available on the NHS.
Looking for answers and a solution, Gav’s wife, Natalie, began fundraising, desperate to secure more than £200,000, which Gav would need over a number of years to fund trips to a specialist immunotherapy clinic in Germany.
More than £65,000 was donated in just a few months, but as time passes, the family is struggling to raise the money they need – despite relentless fundraising efforts through events and challenges.
The family have since enjoyed a “lovely” Christmas together, and recent scans have shown regression and signs of the treatment plan working “against all odds” – but continuing treatment comes at an astronomical cost to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds.
It’s another cruel setback for the family of six(Image: Natalie Mélen)
“It was a very tough decision putting the house on the market, however, it felt proportionate and really the only option we have to raise more funds,” said Natalie.
“Gav was due back in clinic in December, however, we just can’t seem to raise enough money to pay for both his daily metabolic protocol and in-clinic treatments
“We only have a very small fundraising team and are relying heavily on small businesses and people volunteering their time or hosting workplace raffles.
“We have an incredible community in Chesterfield who have gone above and beyond to help our cause – Adam’s Happy Hen’s & Little Farmers, The Bulls Head, Woodall Homes, Galaxy Golf Society, just to name a few – but unfortunately it just isn’t bringing in enough.”
Natalie hopes that by selling their family home – a home the couple share with their four young boys – they will be able to pay for a full block of treatment. But every month that passes without in-clinic treatment, the greater risk there is of Gav deteriorating.
Gav has one more block of treatment remaining in Germany to conclude phase two, however, also needs to complete the third phase of treatment before moving onto maintenance.
Childhood sweethearts Natalie and Gav Melen met in secondary school
“We are in a desperate situation, still trying to raise vital funds and continue fighting to save Gav’s life as much now as we were when we first began fundraising in August 2024.
“The treatment Gav is receiving under the guidance of his German oncologist has given him nine months more than his prognosis (so far) and a relatively good quality of life.
“This treatment was only expected to slow down his disease progression and give us more time.
“In reality, this treatment is actually fighting his disease, and Gav has had a shrinkage of his tumour, something that no one expected.
“It is now believed absolutely possible to give us more years, and even reach no signs of disease, but only if we can raise the funds needed to pay for treatment.”
Gav, Natalie and their four boys, Oscar, Lucas, Miles and Evan, have faced countless challenges since Gav’s diagnosis, particularly in August, when they had £1,000 of belongings stolen from their home.
One of the items was a bike belonging to their son, Oscar. It was a fluorescent yellow/grey Carrera Vendetta worth more than £300, and it was taken from their garden.
They also shockingly stole hundreds of pounds worth of Gav’s cancer supplements in an unopened parcel by the back door – and it all took place while the family were away at the boys’ athletics competition.
But now, selling their family home is something the family “never thought they would have to do”.
“Sacrificing your home to pay for appropriate healthcare in the UK is mind-blowing and something we never thought we would have to do,” added Natalie.
“Unfortunately, the NHS is crumbling, and British citizens who have paid into the system their entire lives are receiving only the most basic health care available, being misdiagnosed and dying prematurely due to the consistent and unnecessary barriers to accessing effective, personalised, novel treatments.
“No one should have to sacrifice their family home, but it is now a very sad fact that so many people around the UK are being forced to succumb to the same eventuality, or choose to stop fighting for the life of their loved one.”
Their home in Ashgate Road, Chesterfield, is listed on Rightmove with a guide price of £279,950. The listing can be found here.
Natalie says the home is part-modernised, which is reflected in the price, and features driveway parking, three bedrooms and two reception rooms.
You can also donate to Gav’s GoFundMe page by clicking the link here.