A BENEFIT for a sick man from Holloway raised £15,000 to help pay for him to receive specialist cancer treatment in Germany.
Tim O’Donoghue, 34, was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer in January this year and travelled to Berlin at the start of this month for a specialist operation not available on the NHS.
Around 500 people attended the event last Friday at St Joseph’s Parish Hall in Highgate, which had a live auction with 25 donated items, a disco and a medley performed by the Pearly Kings and Queens. Over 600 tickets were sold, helping to raise the £15,000 towards the £45,000 bill for the treatment, aftercare and foreign travel costs.
St Gabriel’s Church in Archway, where Mr O’Donoghue was baptised and married, donated £5,000. Friends, family and well-wishers of the father-of-two raised another £21,000 through donations to his online fundraising page.
Mick Doherty, friend of Mr O’Donoghue, said: “It was extremely well supported.
“There were obviously a lot of people we knew, but there were quite a lot of Arsenal supporters because Tim is a season ticket holder and most of the lads knew he is a lifelong Arsenal fan. Archway and Holloway really came out for one of their own.”
There are smaller events organised at the Prince Edward’s pub on Pankhurst Road and a number of carol services dedicated to him over the Christmas period.
For more information or to donate, visit the fundraising page.
Caroline Mortimer – @CJMortimer
