A cancer expert who prolonged the life of the inspirational author and charity founder, Mick May, has received a £100,000 donation to help continue his ground breaking work.

Professor Dean Fennell, clinician scientist at the University of Leicester and international leader in mesothelioma research - a terminal asbestos-linked cancer with an average life expectancy of 18 months - had patient Mick May referred to him in 2018. 

Typically, mesothelioma is diagnosed in patients much older than Mick but the father of six was just 54 when he was given the devastating news. 

However, using his expertise, Professor Fennell was able to identify a highly unusual genetic mutation for Mick’s mesothelioma and prescribed him Vismodegib, a skin cancer drug never previously given for this type of cancer.

This “personalised treatment” achieved a measurable response of Mick’s tumour, prolonging his life by four more years, a time he described as the most productive and happiest in his life, including writing his memoir, Cancer and Pisces which charted his love of fishing and family against the backdrop of his cancer treatment.

Sadly, Mick lost his battle with the disease in 2022. Now his widow, Jill, is giving something back to turbocharge the vital work taking place by Professor Fennell.

Thanks to donations from her friends and family, including hosting an auction, Jill has raised a staggering £100,000 to establish the Mick May PhD Fellowship in Mesothelioma. Alongside the auction, nearly 50 people have contributed to the fellowship, raising not only vital funds, but also much needed awareness of this highly aggressive disease. 

Jill said: “It had been on my mind ever since Mick died nearly three years ago that our experience of mesothelioma and its treatment options sharply contrasted to that of the vast majority of people who contract the disease - often elderly and without the raft of advantages we had. The donation was my effort to redress the balance in some small way. 

“Mick was referred to Dean in 2018 when new treatment options were running dry. When confronted with the results of the genomic sequencing of Mick’s tumour he thought that Mick might benefit from a particular treatment, and this truly personalised medicine approach gave us extraordinary reprieve and extra years of unexpected and exuberant life. 

“Having chatted to Dean about what support I could offer it was clear the recruitment of a PhD student could help fast forward his findings into treatment for others. I’m delighted that we’ve managed to raise this money in memory of Mick and that the funding of the PhD will be known as the Mick May Fellowship in Mesothelioma. It’s such a fitting way to remember Mick and I know he would be extremely proud.”

 

Mick died aged 63 in 2022, having made medical history, and enjoyed additional fulfilling years thanks to his revolutionary treatment.

Having previously set up a charitable enterprise known as Blue Sky, a social enterprise employing ex-offenders, its success at winning Government contracts saw it described by former Prime Minster, David Cameron as the “the only company in the country where you need a criminal record to work there."

Professor Fennell said: “This funding supports the development of new precision medicines entering the clinic to help patients with mesothelioma by applying state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to allow us to identify those patients who will best respond to tailored treatments.”