Family ‘amazed’ by crowdfunder for Bristol man with rare cancer

The mother of a Bristol man diagnosed with a rare cancer says she and her son are ‘amazed’ by the response to a crowdfunder set up to raise money for his treatment and research into the disease.

Alex Hoare is fundraising for her 25-year-old son Dylan, who was diagnosed with the rare soft tissue cancer Synovial Sarcoma in April 2021. Since his diagnosis, Dylan has had his right forearm amputated and also had chemotherapy, lung surgery and radiotherapy.

He is now working with integrative practitioners using diet, supplements and complementary therapies to keep himself well physically and mentally.

An illustrator, he has re-taught himself to draw with his left hand and also taken on some modelling work. But his mum says that through all of this, Dylan has remained resilient in the face of great challenges.

Synovial sarcoma is rare, and therefore there is less research and fewer treatments available. The family now needs to look further afield, beyond the NHS, to treatment that works on a micro level to target the specifics of Dylan’s individual cancer.

This treatment requires expensive genomic testing and is only available privately through specialist clinics.

Alex is hoping to raise £40,000+ to pay for testing, treatment, travel and to continue the complementary therapies and supplements that help to keep Dylan well. That target has nearly been hit and Alex says she can’t believe how kind and generous people have been.

“We have been absolutely amazed by the response, we never thought that we would get to our target so quickly… people have been amazing.

“We have a cousin running the London Marathon raising funds on a separate platform, Dylan’s DJ housemate is planning a live stream to raise money and all sorts of other offers. People are so kind.”

Alex says Dylan is doing well at the moment. He is feeling healthy and using diet, exercise and a variety of complementary therapies to keep himself fit.

She says: “He has good support in Bristol from a variety of medical and complementary practitioners and his friends and family who live further afield.

“After having his right forearm amputated to stop the cancer spreading, he has taught himself to draw with his left hand, and is as good, if not better, than he was with his right hand!

“Whilst he doesn’t take on commissions like he used to, he has a website which sells a range of his prints, t-shirts and tote bags, many of which have been designed in the past 18 months whilst he has been dealing with his illness.

“He also occasionally does some modelling for an inclusive modelling agency that represents disabled and other diverse models.”

Alex says the crowdfunder gives the family the choice to look further afield into the private sector in the UK and abroad to help Dylan get treatment that would not otherwise be available.

“We are currently looking at options here and overseas, and are going through an extensive research and interviewing process to narrow down the best options for him.

“Synovial sarcoma is a very rare form of cancer, that most often occurs in children, teenagers and young adults - its rarity means that research and consequently treatment is underfunded and not as advanced as other cancers.

“We want to be sure we find the right place, with the right treatment to give him the best chance. The amount of money we have raised gives us the chance to make these possibilities a reality.

“We are looking at all our options for both conventional and complementary therapies, taking an integrative approach to Dylan’s treatment that is more usual in Europe and other parts of the world than it is in the UK.

“We are very grateful and feel privileged that people’s generosity will give us these opportunities.”

If you would like to donate to Dylan’s crowdfunder, click here.