The NHS won’t fund Damian’s treatment and he needs £90,000 for private therapy
A 45-year-old man who went to see his GP after frequently getting up twice in the night to go to the toilet has been told he may have three years to live. Damian Lazewski had no other symptoms that frequently needing the toilet when he visited his GP in January.
“He would usually get up once, or not at all. But when he started getting up twice, we decided he should get it checked out,” said his wife Dagmara. “We didn’t think it could be anything serious and the doctor said it was probably a urine infection.”
Damian, 45, travelled to Poland to visit his family shortly after the check-up and worried Dagmara urged him to have a blood test, which he had while he was away. On the day he returned, doctors told him his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was extremely high.
A repeat blood test with his own GP confirmed the result and Damian was referred to a urologist. Further blood tests, an MRI scan and a PET scan confirmed the diagnosis in May. Damian has stage 4, Gleason score 9 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones and lymph nodes.
The IT engineer is trying to remain positive, but Dagmara, 42, says she is struggling to come to terms with the news. “This is the most difficult time of our lives, but we are trying to stay strong for our two daughters while facing this devastating diagnosis. Our world has been turned upside down,” said Dagmara.
“The oncologist said he has around three to four years, but it might be less because of his young age and the cancer being extremely aggressive. They are also investigating whether he has a genetic mutation that could make the cancer more aggressive and less responsive to treatment.”
Damian has started NHS treatment to slow the progression of the disease. “However, we understand that if the cancer becomes resistant to this treatment, he may need a further option called Lutetium-177 therapy,” said Dagmara. “This treatment is not currently available on the NHS due to the cost and must be accessed privately. Each dose costs around £15,000 and he would need approximately six doses, bringing the total to around £90,000, not including scans, consultations and other medical expenses.”
The couple are both continuing to work full-time to support their family and prepare for the financial burden ahead. They are also caring for their daughters, who both have additional needs. “The girls are struggling. My 16-year-old is waiting for her autism diagnosis after a waiting for more than three years, and she has also been treated for an eating disorder. My 12-year-old is waiting for an ADHD diagnosis and is struggling at school as a result,” said Dagmara.
The couple had only recently found financial stability after Damian worked nights for seven years so the couple could manage childcare. “We have never missed a work day in our life here in the UK. When my daughters were born, I went back to work after eight months of maternity leave. It was not easy,” said Dagmara.
“Everything is happening all at once. It is very, very hard. I’m really struggling with my thoughts, my fear of the future and how we are going to cope. It is really frightening. He had his whole life in front of him and now his future has been taken away from him.”
The couple met online in 2004 while Damian was already living in the UK. Dagmara moved over the following year. “We had our daughters and always planned to return to Poland together once they had finished school and left home. Now our future looks very different,” she said. “We can’t go back because his treatment is here. We feel very lost and stuck. I have friends here, but I don’t want to talk to them about the same thing every day. They have their own problems. I feel very lonely and lost.
“Damian is the best husband and father to our two daughters I could ever imagine. He is kind, loving and has always been the positive spirit in our home. He lifts us up even on the hardest days. Since his diagnosis, he has experienced increasing pain, fatigue and difficulty with everyday life, as well as constant worry about the future. Our days are now focused on managing his symptoms, attending appointments and making the most of the time we have together as a family.
“He is due to start chemotherapy shortly, and so we don’t know how much longer he will be able to work.”
With their relatives in Poland and their future plans dramatically changed, the family say they have been left feeling isolated. They have launched a fundraiser to help pay for private treatment, specialist consultations, travel to and from hospital appointments, and day-to-day living costs.
“This treatment represents a chance not only to slow the progression of Damian’s cancer and give us more time together as a family, but also to protect and support our daughters’ future, emotionally and financially, for as long as possible,” said Dagmara. “Any donation, no matter how small, would mean more than we can ever express. If you are unable to donate, sharing this page would also make a huge difference.
“We are so grateful for the kindness and support we have already been shown and for anyone other help offered offered us during this incredibly difficult time.”
To donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-father-of-two-fighting-for-time-stage-4-cancer