Crowdfunding appeal for 25,000 euros launched to help with ongoing cancer treatment and recovery

23-year-old Dylan Olsson is staying with his mother in Marbella after undergoing surgery for a fourth tumour but his legs are paralysed and he needs more physiotherapy

David Lerma

Marbella

Monday, 29 August 2022 | Updated 31/08/2022 09:38h.

In June 2020 Dylan Olsson was 21 and studying in Manchester, but then he became unwell and NHS doctors couldn’t tell what was wrong with him. It wasn’t until December that year when his parents, who live in Marbella, took him to a private clinic and discovered how serious the problem was: Dylan had a primary cancer of unknown origin, with metastasis.

His mother Mónica, who is Argentinian, says the primary tumour has not yet been found and she is hoping to raise 25,000 euros via the Gofundme crowdfunding platform to pay for Dylan’s physiotherapy sessions and an automised stairlift at their home.

“We did a crowdfunding campaign 18 months ago when we found out that Dylan had a cervical tumour which had broken three vertebrae. A lot of people helped and he was operated on by the best neurosurgeon we found. Then he was in a wheelchair with one arm paralysed and needed a great deal of physiotherapy,” she said.

Then two other tumours were found, and they disappeared after radiotherapy. “A little while ago a fourth tumour appeared on his spine and two weeks ago the same surgeon took a sample to analyse, because it is of unknown origin. We have been so unlucky,” she said.

Dylan’s case is very rare, which makes a definitive cure very complicated. At present the radiotherapy is working, but not the chemotherapy. He is at home with his parents and never loses hope,

Why don’t they use the Spanish health service?

“When we came to Marbella, to get my NIE I needed private health insurance. It was lucky that we had it, because it meant my son could be seen straight away. If all this had happened to me I would have gone to any hospital, but for my son I would go and beg on the streets if I had to. I just want him to have every opportunity to get better and live the life he deserves. The time was the problem. It takes longer in the public health system,” Mónica said.

“My son is at home at the moment, with a urinary catheter. Luckily, thanks to the physiotherapy he has some movement in his legs, but he weighs 60 kilos and my husband carries him up and down the stairs. We are trying to do everything we can for him, but the treatments are extremely expensive and he is going to keep needing them. That’s why we’re hoping people can help. I know there are people in worse situations, but a month or two makes an enormous difference in the development of a tumour. My husband works but doesn’t have a fixed income. We have enough to live on, but not to pay for all this. If this hadn't happened we could have had a normal, peaceful life, nothing luxurious but able to pay our bills,” she said.