Dad who nearly lost his legs to flesh-eating Necrotising Fasciitis needs to raise £100K for US treatment

The daughter of a British dad who was nearly killed by a flesh eating bug is trying to raise almost £100,000 for life changing surgery.

Matt Stancer, 52, dad of three, almost lost both of his legs after contracting the rare Necrotising Fasciitis disease in 2013. The father, from Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire, started to feel unwell while on his commute to work and was left requiring 18 hours of surgery to save his life.

Despite the success of the treatement, Matt suffered complications that limited his mobility and his condition has declined over the last two years. His daughter Eve Stancer, 17, has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for “life-changing” treatment.

Eve, who lives in Skelton-in Cleveland, North Yorkshire, needs to raise £96,000 to fund a complicated trip to Austin, Texas in America for two months worth of “cutting edge” stem cell, electro and stretch therapy. Matt, who has just 18% lung capacity and requires oxygen, is unable to fly and will have to travel by boat to the United States.

“No one knew what was going on”

Speaking to NationalWorld, Eve revealed that she had set up the fundraising page as a surprise for her dad. She said: “I just set it up to see what happens, as a 17-year-old I have no other way of coming up with the money. I just want to help, he’s always been the type of person who will help others.

“It just appeared one day when he was on his comute, it was very strange for us. I was only seven at the time, it was very scary.

“No one knew what was going on. It came out of the blue competely, with our parents not being together, I didn’t have any idea what happened. I didn’t see him for six months, then I got a call from my uncle saying he could die.

“His condition has steadily got worse, two years ago there was no oxygen machines but now he can’t really get off the sofa. His fiance helps and he has a housekeeper who comes and cleans and cooks for him and does the shopping.”

Treatment has previously been successfull

Matt had travelled to Texas in March of last year for a short trial of the stem cell treatment, but he suffered a set back after contracting Covid-19 on his return to the UK. He is hoping to return to Austin for a longer course of medicine.

Eve explained: “He went early last year to America for treatment, he spent his whole life savings on it. It was crazy seeing how it worked, it was really good.

“When he got home he caught Covid and it set him back. It will be two months this time, because he only had a trial run last time.”

The 17-year-old described how the pandemic had been very hard for the family. She said: “He was stuck in a bedroom for the whole time. He used to come and pick me and my brother up every weekend, but with his health decline its made it really hard to each other.

“We don’t want to risk catching Covid on the train, it has been a hard couple of years.”

Family face travel complications to access the treatment

Eve explained that due to her father’s declining condition, he is unable to fly to America and they will instead have to travel by boat, before driving more than 1,700 miles. She said: “The treatment is in Austin, Texas. My dad can’t fly until he’s had the treatment, because of his oxygen machine.

“He managed to fly to America last time but at the minute it is too much of a risk. He will be able to fly home but getting their will be a nightmare, but worth it in the long run. He will have to take a ferry to New York and then drive to Austin.

“It would be me and him going, just the two of us. It would be nice to take the family but its not very logical. It has always the two of us.”

Family hope stem cell treatment can be brought to the UK

If Eve is able to raise the money needed to fund Matt’s trip to America, she says her dad hopes to help bring the treatment back across the Atlantic to help others like him. She added: “Nothing could compare to the feeling of raising the money. We have been searching and searching for 10 years to find a treatment and words can’t describe the feeling of discovering it.

“He can go on the transplant list in this country, but there’s a really, really long list and only 1% actual get the treatment. He wants to bring the stem cell treatment over to the UK, so he can help everyone else.”

You can donate to the Stancer family’s GoFundMe via the page here.