Strangers and friends have raised more than $150k for a man’s experimental life-saving cancer treatment after he found out his insurance won’t cover it.
Matt Maclean, 49, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer after noticing blood in his stool in October 2020.
He underwent chemotherapy, radiation and surgery – to remove part of his colon – which was successful and declared in remission in September 2021.
Just one year later, Matt’s blood cancer markers returned but doctors were unable to find a tumor, until a CT scan showed that Matt had a tumor on his liver and he underwent a successful liver resection.
After doctors discovered two new tumors, Matt decided to pursue two separate procedures – another surgical approach to ablate the tumors followed by a localized chemotherapy.
During his surgery in November 2024, three more tumors were discovered and the surgery was abate, Matt still underwent localized chemotherapy but it didn’t work.
After researching, Matt came across Verthermia who specializes in full-body hyperthermic extracorporeal applied tumor therapy – a cancer treatment method that uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient’s blood outside the body.
Despite having FDA approval, the treatment is classed as experimental by Matt’s insurance provider so Matt has raised more than $150k to pay for the treatment.
Matt, a small business owner, from Seattle, Washington, said: “The challenge is, I have already had chemotherapy and it came back.
“Doing chemo might help in the short term, but all the data shows it will not cure my cancer and I really want to cure this.
“This new innovative treatment seems like it would be a critical step, we are at a crossroads and need to do something different rather than go down the same paths.
“It’s five times more effective than chemo with minimal side effects. Cancer patients can avoid a lot of damage standard care does and there’s a higher chance of survival.
“I am still in shock and overwhelmed by all the money that has been raised and the generosity of people who have donated.”
In October 2020, Matt noticed blood in his stool and booked an appointment with a specialist who performed a colonoscopy – a medical procedure that examines the large intestine and part of the small intestine.
It was while he was sitting in the waiting room that he noticed the doctor pause as he was waling into the room – Matt immediately knew it wasn’t good news.
“It was a surreal moment, my wife Elizabeth, was with me and it hit her more than me,” he said.
“We were sitting in the waiting room, I saw the doctor pause when he was about to walk in and I knew he didn’t want to come in.
“Straight away I knew something was going on.
“When you hear the word cancer you feel a sense of dread, but I also felt a sense of peace because of my faith and ‘ok, what do we do now.’”
Matt then underwent a full body scan to see if the cancer had spread to other organs – and started chemotherapy and radiation.
After a break from treatment, in the spring of 2021, doctors took out part of his colon and some of his rectum before undergoing months of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
Matt said: “In September 2021, I was in remission but I was going to be continuously monitored for any changes.
“Just after one year, a test showed that my blood cancer markers had begun to rise so I had a CT scan.
“But the results showed no signs of tumors so I kept being monitored.”
In the spring of 2024, a follow-up CT scan showed that Matt had a significant tumor in his liver and he underwent a successful liver resection.
“When they found the tumor in my liver, that was discouraging, they went back and looked at the previous scan and could see the tumor. Now they knew where it was.
“That made me stage 4. That was a low point, I would say it was harder than my original diagnosis.
“The liver surgery was successful and they removed the tumor with clear margins and I was hopeful I could start moving on.”
However, a month later, an MRI scan showed two more tumors.
Doctors decided they would try a dual approach where they would operate to remove the tumor and put him through a course of localized chemotherapy.
Matt said: “In November 2024, I underwent the surgery and they found three more additional tumors so they aborted the surgery.
“The surgeon believed that more surgery could promote the growth of other tumors.
“When I got out of surgery I was shocked that they didn’t do anything.
“I had to overcome all that emotion, but the doctor did the right thing.”
After finding out he had five cancerous tumors, Matt flew to IYA Medical, Scottsdale, Arizona, for localized chemotherapy.
In January 2025, a follow-up MRI scan and blood test showed that the tumors were still there and the chemotherapy didn’t work.
Matt said: “That was tough, I was getting scared at this point.
“I have two children, Josh, who’s 18, and Rachel, 16. It has been a burden for them.
“They have the fear that they are going to lose their dad, that breaks my heart more than anything.
“It has been very tough on my wife too, she is our rock, she has been nothing but supportive through this whole thing.
“That last year has been particularly tough on her.”
After finding out that the chemotherapy didn’t work, Matt came across Verthermia who specializes in full-body hyperthermic extracorporeal applied tumor therapy – a cancer treatment method that uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient’s blood outside the body.
Despite having FDA approval, the treatment is classed as experimental by Matt’s insurance provider so they don’t cover it.
Matt has had to raise more than $150k to pay for the treatment.
Matt said: “The fact that so many people reacted to the funding page blew me away.
“The money doesn’t mean anything to me, more so it was realizing just how good people can be.
“People have really wanted to help me, they want to give.
“Even now I am still in shock, I am overwhelmed by the sheer generosity that people have shown to me.
“My kids shared it with their friends, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many of them responded.
“These are kids I used to coach and have watched grow up.”
Matt has booked an appointment at Verthermia for March 6, 2025, and is hopeful the treatment will be successful.
“I’m hopeful that I will ultimately beat this thing, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support and love from my community and family.”
Link to GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-matt-access-lifesaving-cancer-treatment
