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Thankful mum returns donations after NHS cancer treatment U-turn

This news post is about 5 years old
 

Roz Paterson said the news came like "magic" after being told the NHS would fund her treatment

Donations raised from a crowdfunding campaign worth nearly £320,000 are to be returned after a Scots mum got the treatment she was campigning for from the NHS.

Roz Paterson, from Beauly in the Highlands, is going to refund everybody who donated to her campaign or donate it to cancer causes.

The mother-of-two was told she had months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer that made her immune to chemo and radiotherapy.

Her only hope was raising £500,000 and traveling to Florida to receive pioneering Car-T Cell Therapy.

The money was raised in just two weeks but after her plight went viral and NHS England has now promised to undertake the treatment – thus avoiding a hugely stressful journey abroad for Roz and he family.

In a blog post Roz said the news came “like magic” and will now receiving the treatment at King's College Hospital in London, with the first consultation taking place on Friday, 31 January.

The news has been celebrated by husband Malcolm, 63, and children Thea, 13 and David, 10.

She wrote: "Last week, I was wondering how we were going to make it in time.

“Something just happened, and like a magic wand, it changes everything.

"I'm 90% sure, I'm as sure as sure can be without actually having to make the oath in court, that NHS Scotland have approved the funding for my treatment.

"The ink's not dry, I don't have the letter in my sweaty little mitt quite yet...but it sure looks good, folks."

Roz said that she would automatically refund everyone who contributed via GoFundMe and that all the other funds raised would be split between four Highland cancer charities - Highland Hospice, MacMillan, Maggie's Centre and Marie Curie.