Urgent fresh appeal for donations to help cancer sufferer Ryan Renton go abroad for trial treatment as latest trial in UK is not working

Ryan Renton was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia back in 2015 when he was just 19. He has gone through gruelling spells of treatment since then and although he has been in remission, his lymphoma relapsed.

His loved ones therefore looked abroad for trials that could make a long-term difference and options were identified in the USA, Spain and Israel.

Various events and activities have taken place as the people of Berwick and further afield have rallied round, and a total of £186,000 has been raised so far towards the goal of around £500,000 – a combination of online donations at www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-save-ryans-life and cash from fundraisers and people putting notes and coins in buckets placed at local businesses and shops.

Ryan benefited last year from a ‘Loxo-305’ trial in Leeds to provide more time for the fundraising and with medical advances for his type of cancer, he started a new trial at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle in February.

But his girlfriend Beth Drummond told the Gazette this week: “Over the past few weeks, Ryan has been struggling a lot and has been in a lot of pain.

“He was sent for an urgent scan and we have been told that Ryan’s latest clinical trial treatment is unfortunately not working, all of his tumours are growing and spreading.

“This news has broken our hearts as we had all prayed the new treatment would have bought us a bit more time.

“The doctors at the Freeman are trying their absolute best for Ryan, but at the moment we do not have a Plan B. We have been told that Ryan only has weeks left with us if he does not get accepted onto another clinical trial.

“We are stuck in a constant waiting game that is eating away at us all.

“This news has meant our fundraiser has become more important than ever right now. We will be eternally grateful to everybody who has contributed.

“We always find ourselves overwhelmed with the support we have received from our little town and we hope that it can continue.”

Updates are posted on the ‘Ryans Fight Against Cancer’ Facebook page.