Appeal to help 'hero' Sheffield area firefighter beat brain cancer reaches £15,000 in one day

The friends and family of a '˜hero' Sheffield area firefighter who could have just weeks to live have raised £15,000 to pay for potentially life-saving treatment.
Stefan Hawcroft.Stefan Hawcroft.
Stefan Hawcroft.

29-year-old Stefan Howcroft from Dronfield has been living with a brain tumour for the last five years but in January his condition significantly worsened and he now struggles to speak and cannot walk.

After he was given just four weeks to live, his only hope became a pioneering immunotherapy treatment not available on the NHS - treatment his friends and family are now trying to pay for themselves.

Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.
Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The target of the fund created to get Stefan the care that could potentially save his life is set at a mammoth £250,000 - but has reached £15,000 in just one day.

Stefan’s friend Chris Cheetham got in touch with the Star on Thursday in the hope of further publicising their appeal.

“Throughout his illness, Stefan has continued to work as a firefighter in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire,” he said. "He has been a bit of a hero.”

“This treatment is his last option so we decided to raise the money ourselves. After 25 hours we have raised almost £15,000.”

Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.
Stefan and his wife Rebecca on their wedding day last month.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While they are still a long way short of the quarter of a million pound target, the level of support for Stefan’s cause has amazed his loved ones.

If they reach the £250,000 target, Stefan will be taken to a clinic in Germany or the Charing Cross Hospital in London where he will receive four sessions of cutting edge cancer treatment and - hopefully - a chance of survival.

After receiving the devastating news, Stefan and his partner brought forward their wedding by 18 months and were married under special license on February 21.

On the Go Fund Me page set up to raise money for Stefan, his sister Emma calls him ‘the bravest man she knows’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She added: “Any donations would be truly amazing in this difficult time.

“Please, please, please share this with everybody you may know as we need to act as fast as we can.

“Anything will help to try and give my bravest brother the future he deserves.”

To donate to Stefan’s appeal visit www.gofundme.com/stefan-hawcroft-the-bravest-man.