Fareham man Rick Smith struck by shock cancer diagnosis as community raises £46,000 for treatment

Groundworker Rick Smith, 39, who lives with his partner Katrina Binfield and four sons in Fareham, was diagnosed with a grade four butterfly glioblastoma - a rare type of malignant brain tumour - after a trip to the opticians, having suffered with a "chronic headache" for more than four weeks.

Initially, doctors could not pinpoint the reason behind the symptom - suggesting that dehydration, stress or a lack of sleep may be to blame. A subsequent CT scan and emergency MRI revealed the serious condition, which has a high mortality rate. He has been given an estimated 15 months to live - but the family, alongside the growing group of supporters dubbed "Rick's Army", are determined to beat the odds.

Today, Rick is undergoing a biopsy at King's College Hospital in London to assess potential treatment options, however the family is pursuing a treatment available in Germany. To help towards this, Katrina and family friend Alissa Triance have set up a GoFundMe page - and in less than two days it has raised more than £46,000.

A statement from the fundraiser page reads: "We are not going to accept this death sentence, in Germany they are offering immunotherapy with great results for people with similar diagnosis to Rick. We are asking for donations to book Rick in with a specialist, the treatment costs around £30,000 and can run alongside his normal treatment pathway, whilst we accept it may not cure his symptoms, it may give his sons more time to make memories with him and him to make memories with them.

"Any additional money raised above the treatment cost will go towards travel to the hospitals and fighting this awful disease. Katrina will be making a page on social media in order for people to follow their journey and provide comfort and support during this ongoing nightmare, we are going to raise the roof on this deadly disease and make sure cancer knows that this time we will not be beaten! We are aware that times are tough for everyone right now so if you can't donate then please follow Katrina's page and share this appeal far and wide. Showing some love will make this journey less lonely and heartbreaking."

At time of writing, more than 1,600 people have contributed to the cause. You can support the fundraiser by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/ricks-army-cancer-will-not-win.