Emotional appeal to secure life-saving treatment for Inverness tanker driver who crashed into Beauly premises
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The family of a man who crashed an oil delivery lorry into a building in the centre of Beauly as a result of a seizure that was later found to be due to the presence of a malignant brain tumour are appealing for help to secure vital treatment they say could save his life.
Steven Fry (32), from Inverness, crashed his lorry into empty shop premises in the centre of Beauly in September 2021 and had to be airlifted to Raigmore Hospital.
It was later confirmed that he had suffered a seizure before the accident and that he was, sadly, suffering from a previously undiagnosed brain tumour.
Steven suffered a bleed on the brain after a biopsy and underwent emergency surgery, the procedure leaving him paralysed down the right side of his body.
An initial online appeal raised more than £12,000 to help his family in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
His wife Chloe (29) said at the time that the family had been "overwhelmed" with people's kindness and generosity.
Now sister in law Hayley Anderson has launched a further crowdfunding appeal, this time hoping to raise £50,000 for potentially life-saving treatment she says is not available on the NHS.
Steven and Chloe are parents to one-year-old daughter Piper, born after the Beauly crash, in the wake of Steven's shocking diagnosis.
Spending three months in hospital after the crash and his subsequent paralysis he was discharged just before Christmas 2021.
Chloe gave birth to Piper just two weeks later, having to combine new motherhood with her role as Steven's main carer.
Hayley said: "With so much love, care and support from his family Steven has made progress with learning how to walk and talk again but he won’t recover unless he has lifesaving cancer treatment.
"His life is currently time limited.
"Steven’s family are his world and he is desperate to see Piper start school, become a teenager and to be able to support her through life as she grows up.
"He wants more than anything to experience the life with her and for her to have her daddy with her for as long as possible."
Underlining her brother in law's determination she added: "Steven, until his diagnosis, was healthy and employed as a driver of fuel tankers. A job he really enjoyed, misses, and is keen to return to even though the seizure that incapacitated him resulted in his tanker crashing at the time.
"Although he is still relearning many life skills, Steven dedicates time to helping others by volunteering on the hospital ward where his life was saved in 2021.
"He supports others who receive a cancer diagnosis and with similar frightening prognoses.
"Steven is currently undergoing chemotherapy in a bid to prolong his life as much as possible, but the tumour is inoperable, meaning that his time with his family is devastatingly limited.
"Unfortunately the side effects of chemotherapy are also damaging for him.
"Steven’s only option and hope of life with Chloe and Piper is a type of immunotherapy that is not available on the NHS."
Talking in more detail about the type of treatment he hopes to undergo she said: "Cell-based Immunotherapy can be the last hope for many cancer patients who have an inoperable tumour and terminal diagnosis.
"However, it can also be the first and last treatment needed for all cancer patients.
"In the UK it costs around £50,000 and following an initial consultation with a team of specialists he has been informed that he is a suitable candidate and the chances of it being successful are high.
"This has been the news Steven and his wife have been hoping for since 2021.
"A dendritic cell vaccine is a cross between a vaccine and a cell therapy.
"Human dendritic cells are like immune system factories and fight the cancer cells we have to stop them from developing into the life-threatening cancer as we know it. This is done using our immune system.
"When a ‘weakness’ occurs, and the cancer can develop, our dendritic cells can’t fight it effectively. Dendritic cell therapy changes this and gives our dendritic cells a much needed long term boost!
"Steven has such a positive determination to beat the cancer, with his main driver being little Piper. She is his motivation to fight, push himself and beat cancer each and every day despite still experiencing the consequences of paralysis.
"Please support Steven and help give hope to his family as their world has been crushed at the thought of losing him."
Find out more and donate here
