Cancer patient ‘sent home to die’ forced to flee to US for life-saving treatment
A retired nurse was “sent home to die” after a cancerous tumour was discovered in her lungs at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
A heartbroken Scots husband says his cancer patient wife was “sent home to die”, leaving the couple with no option but to flee to the US in a desperate fight for her life.
Susan Webster, 60, a retired nurse originally from Arizona, was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2024 at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
But instead of a treatment plan, Susan and her husband Keith say they were told there was nothing that could be done due to the dangers of possibly puncturing her lung while taking a biopsy.
“We were basically sent home to die,” said Keith, 54, a self-employed taxi driver from Aberdeen. “It was devastating. Her journey has been filled with moments of hope, uncertainty, and immense strength.”
The couple, who married in 2018 and recently secured Susan’s right to remain in the UK after a gruelling five-year battle with immigration, say they were left with no choice but to seek a second opinion in Susan’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.
There, doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Centre offered Susan targeted radiation treatment and within months, the original tumour had shrunk so much that it was almost gone. However, after returning to Aberdeen in January, their hopes were crushed once again.
“Her scans showed a new tumour had already grown to 2.4cm in just three months,” Keith said. “And again, we were told there was nothing they could do here. We were sent home to die a second time - with no hope, unless we can get back to Arizona.”
The couple have now launched a GoFundMe page to raise £10,000 to cover flights and the cost of another round of treatment in the US that isn't covered by her insurance.
Keith, who has driven taxis in the granite city for 34 years, says the money will also help him stay by Susan’s side, which is something he can’t afford to do while unable to work.
He added: “I’m self-employed, so if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. The first time, I could only stay with her for a month. To not be with her again through this would be devastating for us both.”
The treatment Susan received in Arizona, which is known as SABR in the UK, is available on the NHS, but Keith says doctors here were unable to attempt it due to the risk of puncturing her lung.
“In Arizona, they carried it out no problem,” he said. “They even managed to take a biopsy down her throat and into her lung, so we could find out what kind of cancer it was. Here, we had no way of knowing how aggressive it was or how long she had.”
Keith says they’ve spent thousands trying to save Susan’s life, including £4000 for a fast-tracked visa so she wouldn’t be banned from leaving the UK during the application process.
He added: “It’s been one thing after another, financially and emotionally. But we’re not giving up.”
To support Susan’s fight, visit their GoFundMe page - https://gofund.me/38b04780.
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: “We cannot comment on individual patient cases.
“When a patient does make direct contact with us, we are more than willing to discuss their case with them – including their diagnosis, treatment and any further care they received.”