“Mum’s never given up on us. We won’t give up on her.”
Marie Megahey has been fighting stage 4 bowel cancer with liver metastasis for nearly two years(Image: Family photo)
A Lisburn family is desperately bidding to give their mum her life back with lifesaving cancer treatment available in the USA but not in the UK.
Marie Megahey, 56, has been fighting stage 4 bowel cancer with liver metastasis for nearly two years. While the primary bowel tumour was removed, the cancer in her liver has proven much harder to treat as she’s not eligible for surgery.
The mum-of-three has been through relentless rounds of chemotherapy, which has kept the disease somewhat stable but at a huge cost to her physical strength and emotional well-being.
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Her family – including her three children Sarah, Christopher, Aoife and partner Jim – say Marie has constantly been let down by the NHS as she has never been given any treatment options other than palliative chemotherapy. However a treatment centre in California is now offering her a chance at life again.
After a long and difficult journey, her loved ones have found a treatment that could potentially put Marie into remission, Histotripsy. It’s not yet available on the NHS or anywhere in Northern Ireland but is overseas, specifically in the USA. And since surgery is not an option, this could be her only chance at achieving remission.
Marie’s daughter Aoife told Belfast Live: “Mum was diagnosed in May, 2024. She was going back and forth to the doctor with stomach pain and they were saying that it was heartburn and giving her Gaviscon. She actually had to go private for a scan because she just wasn’t accepting it and then of course the scan found that she was stage 4. That was just a big shock to her and of course to all of us as a family.
Marie Megahey has been fighting stage 4 bowel cancer with liver metastasis for nearly two years(Image: Family photo)
“She had surgery first in July last year and then she started on chemotherapy. She’s now on her fourth line of chemo but unfortunately she has a mutation with the colon cancer, so a lot of the chemo hasn’t been responding. It’s been keeping the liver stable in some ways but it’s still growing slowly.
“Obviously we’re heartbroken by it all and her oncologist says it’s palliative treatment and the chemo’s only going to work for a certain amount of time. I’ve just been researching alternative treatments in the background and I came across the histotripsy on TikTok and then I looked into it more deeply and joined a Facebook group.
“Thankfully a team in California has accepted her case and they’re willing to help her and they’ve given us a date of November 12 to start treatment. The doctor offering this treatment believes there’s a real chance for remission – that’s something we’ve only dreamed of.”
Marie’s family are on a mission to get her to remission and get her life back
But unfortunately it comes at a cost: $50,000 for the treatment alone on top of flights, accommodation and living expenses for at least a week and she may need more than one round of treatment.
Aoife added: “Our mum is the strongest woman we know. Despite everything, she has remained brave, hopeful and determined to beat this — and we, her children, have never stopped searching for a better way to help her heal. She’s a social worker and loves her job, but unfortunately she just hasn’t been able to work due to the treatment.
“We’ve been fighting alongside our mum for a year and a half now, trying everything within our means — emotionally, financially and spiritually. We’ve reached a point where we can’t do this without support as the financial burden is simply too great for our family alone.
“Mum is inoperable and this treatment is her last real shot at remission. Right now, chemotherapy is the only thing keeping her stable but it’s also weakening her immune system and her spirit.
Marie’s family are fully supporting her including her partner Jim
“We’ve watched her go from a happy-go-lucky, full-of-life person to someone who is now in constant pain, exhausted and mentally drained. And still — she fights on. Mum’s never given up on us. We won’t give up on her.”
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a £50,000 target which has already raised over £12,000 in just a few days.
Aoife added: “We are so incredibly grateful to all the kind people who have supported us emotionally and practically during this journey. Every message, donation and share gives us strength. Please help us give our mum the chance she deserves. Let’s help Marie get to remission — and get her life back.”
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
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