Over €42,000 has been raised in a week to support the Hospital-Herbertstown native

A GOFUNDME appeal has been set up by the Reale family from County Limerick for their beloved brother, Derek.

They say that Derek, from the parish of Hospital-Herbertstown, has been fighting metastatic melanoma, an aggressive cancer that has now spread to his lungs. 

“He has gone through every treatment available to him through the NHS – immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Recently, we received the devastating news that there are no further treatment options left for him in the UK.

“As a family, hearing this has been heartbreaking. But we are not ready to accept that this is the end of the road for Derek,” they say.
The Reale family said there is one final option – a treatment called TIL (Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocyte) immunotherapy. Over €42,000 of their €130,000 goal has been reached in the space of a week.

One of many to share the fundraiser is Hospital Herbertstown GAA Club, who Derek hurled and played football underage with for many years.

The treatment is available at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel, one of the world’s leading cancer hospitals.

“TIL therapy has shown real promise for patients who have exhausted standard treatments. Derek has been assessed as a candidate, meaning he has a genuine chance to benefit from it. This treatment offers something we haven’t had in a long time: hope.”

The Reale family say the cost of treatment, travel, accommodation, and medical support is far beyond what the family can manage alone. 

“We are doing everything we can, but we cannot reach this goal without support. Your contribution will help cover TIL immunotherapy at Sheba; pre treatment scans and assessments; travel and accommodation for Derek and a family member and post treatment monitoring and follow up care.”

The Reales say Derek is a husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend to many. 

“He is kind, gentle, and has faced every stage of this illness with courage. He deserves the chance to keep fighting and we want more time with him.

“Your support gives Derek a chance at life saving treatment and gives our family hope when we need it most.

“From our entire family – thank you for reading, thank you for caring, and thank you for standing with us.”