Limavady Football Book Supports Local Cancer Patient’s Groundbreaking Treatment

A kind-hearted Limavady author has vowed to donate the proceeds of his new books to help a local lady who is battling Stage Four Liver Cancer with a new experimental treatment.

Gerry Robinson, who has written ‘Limavady Football Down the Years’ currently on sale, and ‘Roe Valley Sporting Achievements’ due to be released shortly, was touched when he heard Heather King’s story.

Heather was diagnosed in October 2022 with a rare Stage 4 liver cancer after having treatment for a previous cancer, which revealed the full extent of her condition.

She bravely told her heartbreaking story:

“16 months before I had a previous cancer, and the treatment that I had for that was radiotherapy plus chemotherapy which had broken my pelvis so I was in hospital for eight weeks, when they found an abscess in one fracture and one in my liver.

“The abscess in my fracture went but the one in my liver didn’t, then they took biopsies and found it was stage 4 carcinoma, a rare one which is not curable but could perhaps be held at bay.

“So, on 1^st December, they removed most of my liver, gall bladder and bile duct and then they brought back me back for a scan 12 weeks later.

“My liver had grown back but there were two tumours, then the next day four tumours until it became nine tumours.

“I went through four different chemotherapies but they didn’t work, immunotherapy began to work but then stopped, and in September, they said there was no more that they could do for me.”

After Heather was put forward for trials and got bloods taken, she was told that they had found the Her2 gene, causing breast cancer, which Heather had when she was originally diagnosed with liver cancer.

Heather explained the next surprising stage in her difficult journey.

“My own oncologist said 'I think we can work with this' – he said that they were doing treatment on anyone with breast cancer who had the Her2 gene, and the results are fantastic,” she said.

“It is a targeted therapy, it goes directly to the cancer, as soon as it is given to you via the drip, it heads directly to the tumours to destroy them by breaking down the proteins.”

As Heather had the gene, the oncologist suggested that they try the same treatment for the liver cancer along with the chemotherapy, although it had never been done before.

Despite this giving Heather hope, the doctor broke the difficult news that this treatment would not be funded due to lack of evidence.

The therapy was so groundbreaking that Heather’s treatment would effectively be the trial but it would be self-funded and the treatment costs £2,990 every three weeks.

Coping with the financial worry on top of her devastating diagnosis has not been easy for Heather, but after a recent scan she has had some positive news.

“I got my fourth treatment two weeks ago and the scans before showed that all the tumours have shrunk by some degree, some by 20% and some by 40% so the oncologist is applying again for funding,” she said.

“This is the proof that we need, that this is working, this could help so many people with liver cancer, who were told to go home and sort out their finances!

“I really hope it keeps working and I really hope that they get the funding, but I don’t know how long this will take.”

Author Gerry Robinson explained why he felt so strongly about supporting Heather financially for her treatment after learning of her experiences:

“The minute I heard the story, my heart went out to them.

“I thought I have a book coming out, I wanted the proceeds to go to cancer and this is a local girl, no one is helping her.

“She has to pay for this treatment herself, it is a fortune, no one was funding it, and the treatment is unprecedented, it is groundbreaking, and it’s working too!”

“I just knew my book was almost finished but I am going to rush it through because the sooner we get this done for Heather, the better.

“I sat down and researched Limavady football, I had played myself, actually along with Heather’s husband.

“I am meticulous with the detail, which you have to be with a book, but I got it done and the sale of the book will go directly towards Heather’s treatment.

“The two books will raise awareness and much needed financial assistance and as far as I can see, everyone is getting behind it.”

The first book, ‘Limavady Football Down the Years’ covers all football players and teams in the Limavady area and the second book, ‘Roe Valley Sporting Achievements’ due to be released shortly, covers sporting achievements in Limavady.

It chronicles all sport in the Limavady area, including equestrian, rugby, cricket, triathlon, and camogie, featuring notable sportspeople from Limavady.

Gerry’s first publication run of the football book has been so successful that it immediately sold out and the second run is nearly sold out through pre-orders but Gerry insists he will continue to reprint to fund Heather’s treatment.

Heather expressed her heartfelt thanks to Gerry for his support.

“It is amazing, Gerry came to me and said I want to do this for you, I do it for cancer every year and you are no different,” she continued.

“There are not many families that cancer doesn’t knock at the door of, at all different levels to different degrees at different ages, cancer doesn’t discriminate.

“If this was just to help me, Heather King, I am no one special, but this will hopefully help thousands down the line, it is pioneering.”

Allie Doherty, Heather’s sister agreed.

“We are very grateful to Gerry and Michelle for everything they have done, they have really stepped out and supported the family, it is amazing, we want to say thank you to both,” said Allie.

Gerry has raised £2,000 so far from the sale of the first book but is calling upon the people of Limavady and further afield to help Heather by purchasing both books.

The proceeds of Gerry’s books have always gone to local charities, the previous book ‘Causeway Verses’ helped support LIPS and Foyle Hospice.

He also hopes that local businesses will get behind the project and support Heather.

He said: “If we can help to subsidise this a little…every little helps.

“Everyone’s family members have been touched by the same illness and I am hoping that local people and businesses will have sympathy and get behind this too.”

‘Limavady Football Down the Years’ is on sale in Café Steinbeck, Menarys and Browns Funeral Directors in Limavady and is £10 to purchase.