ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Cancer Patient Buys Own Chemotherapy Machine On eBay For £3,400

Cancer Patient Buys Own Chemotherapy Machine On eBay For £3,400

The man has now bought and donated seven of the machines

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

A man with cancer found chemotherapy machines worth £3,400 on eBay for £175, saving the NHS thousands.

Sixty-two-year old Steve Brewer was undergoing treatment at Peterborough City Hospital where nurses told him they couldn't afford to buy any more triple pump machines, which are used to administer cancer drugs.

So savvy Steve had a quick look online from his hospital bed, and managed to find them on sale for a fraction of the usual £3,400 ($4,700) cost. He has since bought and donated seven of the machines. What an absolutely amazing fella.

Steve said: "I was doing my first chemo and the nurse explained they didn't have enough pumps.

SWNS

"I said, 'I'll see if I can find one to donate.' I was looking around and one popped up on eBay for £175 ($244).

"The triple pumps can get the drugs into you much quicker. It cuts 30 to 40 minutes off each treatment. It literally gives you half an hour of your life back each time."

Steve, who has three children, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and has been through 25 rounds of chemo, which he says is helping keep the illness at bay. He goes to the hospital and uses one of the machines every other week.

Upon finding the bargain-priced machines online, Steve began fund-raising and managed to raise £900 ($1,200), which he used to buy six machines, to go with the one he had already purchased.

However, he was initially told by staff at the hospital that they wouldn't be able to use the machines because they were second-hand.

SWNS

Steve didn't give up, though, and alongside chemotheraphy nurse Angelo Cuenca, persuaded the makers of the pumps - Baxter - to recommission them free of charge; meaning they can now be used for five more years.

"There was a bit of red tape. It took a while but we persevered," said Steve, who has two grandchildren. "They needed these machines and they knew what a difference this would make.

"There must be loads of these secondhand machines. They must go somewhere. It could save hospitals hundreds of thousands of pounds."

WHY THE PROSTATE CANCER UK BADGE GIVES ME STRENGTH


Linda Nkhata, chemotherapy day unit manager at Peterborough City Hospital, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Mr Brewer for his generous donation.

"The pumps cost £3,400 each to buy new, which would be a massive outlay for the trust, however, to have seven of them donated has made such a difference to the patients receiving treatment in our hospital, and also to our staff."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS