BUSSELTON family Brad and Deb Hallyburton are overwhelmed with the community’s response to help raise $30,000 to purchase medication to treat Mr Hallyburton’s brain tumour.
Last week, their friend Cassie Matthees set up a Go Fund Me page to help the Hallyburton’s raise the money needed for the treatment.
All the money was raised within 24 hours of the page being set up with donations coming in from many people in the Busselton community.
Go Fund Me is a website where people personalise a fundraising campaign and share it on social media. The site has generated over $2 billion through campaigns.
Mrs Hallyburton said the support they received from friends and the community was unbelievable and they would like to thank everybody who helped.
“Just the beautiful messages we have received, Brad just loves sitting reading them,” she said.
Mrs Hallyburton said they would start treatment this week and the money would pay for six courses, if the treatment worked they could continue with the medication.
Eighteen months ago Mr Hallyburton was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumour and was given up to 12 months to live.
Since then, Mr Hallyburton has undergone 31 courses of radiation but the tumour has continued to grow. He has been on continuous chemotherapy since March last year and was told by doctors that he could not have any more radiation.
Mr Hallyburton said he wants to have a good run and hopes everything goes well.
“We start with a year, then try another year and another year and keep trying,” he said.
The drug is not available on the pharmaceutical benefit scheme for My Hallyburton’s type of cancer although it is covered on the PBS for people with other types of cancers.
Despite the challenges, Mr Hallyburton said they are very happy and where the tumour was situated on his head had effected his emotions.
Mrs Hallyburton said it had made it easier to deal with the situation because her husband was so happy and while he had always been quite funny the tumour had accentuated his personality.
“I have become quite empathetic with people and do not stop talking and laughing,” he said.
“Before I did not talk a a lot but now I have to talk a lot, I cannot stop but I make people laugh.”
