CANCER DRUG FIGHT DAD DIES, EVEN AFTER LYING TO GET TREATMENT
A former soldier who bravely took on penny-pinching NHS bosses in his fight against terminal cancer has died, aged 37. Mark Bannister's wife has revealed how her husband was forced to LIE to doctors in order to get the life-prolonging treatment he had been denied due to a cruel postcode lottery. But after wasting six months of precious time trying to obtain the drug Avastin, Mark's cancer was too advanced for the medicine to have any effect. The dad-of-two succumbed to the brain tumour he had been battling for nine years at around 6am on Monday morning, with his wife Karen, 33, at his side. In tribute to her husband, who served in Northern Ireland and Bosnia during nine years in the army, grieving Karen said: "The Avastin didn't have any effect but we had to fight for six months in order to get it. "In all that time his tumour had been growing. In the end, he had to claim that he was living at another address in order to get the treatment. Who knows what would have happened if he had got the drug sooner - I truly believe it would have helped him.
Other great stories
WOMAN RESPONDS TO TROLLS AFTER BEING DUBBED 'SWAMP CREATURE'
A young makeup artist has hit back at vile internet trolls who dubbed her a 'swamp creature' and 'ugly' for exposing her troubled skin in online makeup tutorials .
OBESE WOMAN DEVELOPED ANOREXIA AFTER LOSING 19ST
A former obese woman has told how she lost 19st, but was so terrified of gaining weight that she ended up developing an eating disorder .
‘PEG-LEG’ AMPUTEE OVERCOMES BULLIES TO MODEL LINGERIE
An amputee who was cruelly nicknamed 'peg-leg' by school bullies has conquered her insecurities to become a model .
REAL LIFE DOLLS HOUSE
Ever wished you could live in a house just like Barbie's? Canadian sculptor Heather Benning has created the life-size dollhouse of her dreams out a derelict building .
CALAMITY AIRSTRIP 15 YEARS ON
FIFTEEEN years after it was closed pictures by a British teacher show the calamity Hong Kong airport that was closed for being too dangerous .
SNOOZING SEAL PUP
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
WOMAN TRANSFORMS HERSELF INTO CARTOON CHARACTERS USING PAINT
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
SOUTHERN CROSSED AURORA
YOU’VE heard of the northern lights now feast your eyes on the natural wonder of the SOUTHERN lights .
STUNNING ENGLISH COASTAL LANDSCAPES
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
POLAR BEARS HAVE A SPLASHING TIME
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
STRANDED MOOSE RESCUED FROM FROZEN LAKE
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
BUMPS OF ART: DAD CREATES MASTERPIECES ON PREGNANT MUM'S TUM
A talented artist has created artwork with a KICKIN' twist by painting on his pregnant wife's bump .