WATCH: ‘I just want to see my kids grow up’ says Inverness fuel tanker driver battling cancer
A former fuel tanker driver who crashed into empty shop premises in Beauly after a seizure later found to be caused by the presence of a malignant brain tumour has raised over £50,000 to receive medical treatment that could potentially save his life.
Following the accident in September 2021, Steven Fry (33), from Inverness, and his family have been up against the clock to raise substantial funds in order to go ahead with the treatment.
Since the fundraiser launched in November 2023, the family have raised an incredible £50,955 and Steven has been accepted onto a UK-based medical trial.
He said: “I was very dependent on the fundraising as I just want to be there for my kids.
“It’s amazing that people across the UK have helped me, even if they don’t know me.”
Steven’s wife Chloe (29) wishes to be a normal family again as the pair have recently welcomed a newborn into their arms.
She said: “It’s changed our lives greatly. I try not to think about it [Steven’s diagnosis] because if I do then I would probably just cry. In a way I think it has made me stronger and I try to look for the positives rather than the negatives.
“This treatment would just give us the opportunity to have a normal life because when you’ve got that hanging over you these intrusive thoughts come, like, he’s not going to be here one day.
“It would give me a life where I’m not constantly wondering when I’m going to lose my husband and when our girls are going to lose their dad.”
The parents have now completed their family with Remi, their 12-week-old baby girl.
Chloe said: “We were told Steven might never be able to have kids again due to the radiotherapy, so Steven delayed his treatment a little bit because we wanted to have one more.
“I think it was a month before he started his chemo that we found out about Remi, so I feel like it was just meant to happen. It’s special knowing that she could have been the last chance that we had.”
While the family have now raised sufficient funds for treatment, Steven has only recently come out of hospital after undergoing numerous blood transfusions due to a lack of red and white blood cells.
He also suffered from Covid-19, and a chest infection while in hospital. Therefore, the family are sitting tight to allow Steven’s body to fully recover before undergoing the treatment that could save his life.
Steven said: “This treatment would make me so happy as I would get to see my kids grow up, go to school, university, get boyfriends. Just to see them grow up would be nice.
“So, I hope this treatment works for me.”
