'You've given me the gift of life': Cancer patient, 29, thanks LBC listeners who raised tens of thousands for treatment

21 June 2023, 10:12 | Updated: 21 June 2023, 14:24

Cancer sufferer Megan McClay reacts to surpassing her target of £80,000 thanks to your donations

A 29-year-old cancer patient has said she is "over the moon" and thanked LBC listeners after they backed a Nick Ferrari campaign to raise tens of thousands of pounds for treatment in just one day.

Megan McClay, who is suffering from a rare cancer, told Nick about her efforts to raise funds for chemosaturation treatment that is yet to be approved by the NHS.

The Norfolk resident described her efforts to fundraise prolonging life treatment after being diagnosed with ocular melanoma when she called on Tuesday. She had £12,500 raised when she spoke to Nick.

Read more: Cancer sufferer, 29, needs to raise 'intimidating' sum for lifesaving treatment

But she has hit now her goal of £80,000 that will fund two rounds of treatment - her family will finance the third, with each costing £40,000 - thanks to generous LBC listeners donating tens of thousands after hearing her plight on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.

Speaking to him after the target was reached on Wednesday, she said: "I'm absolutely over the moon. Since I got off the call to you, all day, I’ve just been running on pure adrenaline.

"I've been speaking to family and friends who have just been in absolute in tears.

"It's just been so emotional," she said while on the verge of crying.

Her condition affects around five in one million adults and is a form of eye cancer that develops in the cells that produce pigment. Megan shared with Nick that the cancer has also "metastasised" to her liver.

The treatment costs an "intimidating amount" and despite having approval from care guidance body NICE to go ahead with the treatment, Megan told Nick it is not paid for by cancer funding, because it is considered a medical device, not medicine.

But it has given patients prolonged life with minimal side effects, allowing people to have "comfortable lives", she said on Wednesday.

Asked if she had a message for LBC's generous listeners, she said: "Thank you, so so much, there are no words to express how incredibly grateful my family and myself are. You have given me the gift of life and I cant thank you enough, and thank you Nick for giving me an opportunity to speak about this."

Nick said: "At a time when the news agenda is dominated by so much negativity, it was a privilege to channel the best wishes and donations towards Megan from my fantastic LBC audience."

See Megan's Just Giving page: Weʼre raising £80,000 to fund crucial cancer treatment for Megan