Lasting legacy of cancer victim dad
6:02am Thursday 29th November 2007
Comments (31)
A CANCER patient who died days after securing an important victory for sufferers across the region said he was happy in the knowledge he was leaving behind a lasting legacy.
Dave Hill told his wife Tina he would die a proud man after helping other NHS patients get the treatment they needed.
Mr Hill, from Darlington, County Durham, lost his fight for life at the town's Memorial Hospital on Monday, only six days after his case persuaded health bosses to perform a U-turn over the supply of the new drug Tarceva.
It means every North-East lung cancer patient who might benefit from the drug will now recieve it.
Yesterday, Mr Hill's campaign was described as "seminal" by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Tarceva, a new drug that can extend the lives of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, is available in Scotland and much of Europe, but not in England.
The decision of the North-East and Cumbria Cancer Drug Approval Group means that lung cancer patients in the North-East and Cumbria are the only ones in England able to receive the £2,000-a-month drug.
Before he died, Mr Hill told his wife, Tina, that he was proud to have played a part in helping other cancer patients.
Last night, family friend Geoff Marsh, who runs the Golden Cock pub, in Darlington, said: "Dave was ecstatic when he heard the news that the NHS had agreed to fund Tarceva for everyone in the North-East.
"What he really wanted was for everyone who needed it to get the drug.
"He knew he was going to die at some point, but he was happy that he had helped others.
"He has not died in vain," said Mr Marsh, who is married to Mr Hill's niece, Mandy.
Tributes to the Darlington father-of-four also came from Mike Unger, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
He said: "He played a very, very important role. He was seminal in changing the minds of this drug approval group. It is a great legacy."
The 46-year-old father-of-four was rushed to the hospital last Tuesday suffering from a collapsed lung.
Despite the best efforts of doctors and nurses, Mr Hill's condition deteriorated. He died at about 6am after developing pneumonia.
His request to Darlington Primary Care that they should give permission for his NHS consultant to prescribe Tarceva resulted in the North-East and Cumbria Drug Approvals Group announcement on November 13 that eligible patients should be given the chance to have the £2,000-a-month drug on the NHS.
The announcement by the drug approvals group was made on the day Mr Hill was taken to hospital.
The decision was hailed as a breakthrough by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, which wants Tarceva to be made available in England.
Mr Unger said there was "massive" interest in Tarceva, with his charity's website recently recording 45,000 hits on its drug information section.
Earlier this year, the drug watchdog Nice decided not to approve Tarceva for general use in the NHS on the grounds of cost.
Tarceva, which works by interfering with the signals that tell lung cancer cells to grow, has been shown to extend the lives of patients.
Seventeen European countries have so far agreed to provide Tarceva as part of state-subsidised health services.
In September, The Northern Echo highlighted the plight of Mr Hill after his youngest daughter, Chantelle, six, launched a fundraising campaign to pay for the drug.
After being told by his NHS consultant that it was unlikely he would get it on the NHS, Mr Hill decided he would have to pay for the drug.
But Mr Hill, who has been ill for years, needed donations from family and friends to cover the cost of the drug.
Regulars from the Golden Cock pub raised several thousand pounds by cycling from coast to coast.
Other donations pushed the total to £5,500.
Mr Hill began private treatment with Tarceva a few weeks ago and was showing signs of improvement until his relapse.
You can leave your tribute to Mr Hill below.
Your Say YourThe Northern Echo
geoff and mandy marsh, darlington says...
12:55pm Thu 29 Nov 07
wayne hill, darlington says...
1:59pm Thu 29 Nov 07
tanya hill, essex says...
2:23pm Thu 29 Nov 07
J Moody, East Yorkshire says...
2:51pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Kay, Yorkshire says...
2:58pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Jane Mulhearn, Yeovil, Somerset says...
3:02pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Yvonne, Scotland says...
3:12pm Thu 29 Nov 07
vinna & jane, darlington says...
3:36pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Rachel Hill, Darlington says...
3:56pm Thu 29 Nov 07
sarah, darlington says...
4:09pm Thu 29 Nov 07
juls, llanelli wales says...
4:17pm Thu 29 Nov 07
STEVE/JANE/KIDS, DARLINGTON says...
4:19pm Thu 29 Nov 07
mike green, darlington says...
4:42pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Alison, South Wales says...
6:14pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Jimmy Bennett, England says...
6:16pm Thu 29 Nov 07
This anti-English government is a disgrace. Hang your head in shame, Mr Brown!
My warmest regards and sympathy to Dave's family.
garry applegarth, darlington says...
6:27pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Debbie, Cambridgeshire says...
6:33pm Thu 29 Nov 07
I too hope that Dave's legacy will be extended across England. This man has highlighted the dreadful discrimination by this government against every man, woman and child in England. There are still several drugs available on the NHS in Scotland but not here.
We must continue the work and ensure that out of Dave's legacy comes health equality for all the people of England.
My heartfelt sympathy to Dave's family.
virginia watson and family, darlington says...
8:56pm Thu 29 Nov 07
Alan Jenkinson, Darlington says...
9:34pm Thu 29 Nov 07
debbie taylor, darlington says...
9:38pm Thu 29 Nov 07
sonia jon and family, darlington says...
10:22pm Thu 29 Nov 07
sam mulock tina hill chantelle hill, darlington says...
10:57am Fri 30 Nov 07
to my fat **** dave you have given me the best 9yrs of my life so happy u got ur wish that ur back with your mum and brother miss and love u so so so so much words could never describe but ill see you again hope your waiting for me your loving wife tina xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
to my daddy i no ur watching over me and ill be looking after mummy we be fine i love u loads n loads chaz xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
sarah dan charlotte and kieran, essex says...
11:11am Fri 30 Nov 07
xxxxxxxxxxx
hello fella come on you irons lol sadly missed dan xxxxxxxxxxx
to my special grandad you will never be forgotten ur always inb my thoughts lots and lots of love charlotte and kieran xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
chris hill vicky and tyler, doncaster says...
12:01pm Fri 30 Nov 07
caz, darlo says...
2:37pm Fri 30 Nov 07
Charlie, Cheshire says...
11:45pm Fri 30 Nov 07
Sue Howard, Penrith,Cumbria says...
3:51pm Sat 1 Dec 07
SHEILA&WILLY, darlo says...
10:27am Mon 3 Dec 07
karl taylor, darlington says...
10:41am Mon 3 Dec 07
Fern Nash, bedfordshire says...
1:08pm Wed 30 Apr 08
My family and I would like to help raise awareness of the need and importance of this and other life saving drugs, please contact me if there is anything we can do, fern.nash@ntlworld.c
om
Cancer sufferer Dave Hill, with his wife, Tina, and daughter Chantelle
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Nick Grimsley, Newton Abbot says...
10:49am Thu 29 Nov 07