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 WHO SUFFERED 200 ALLERGIC REACTIONS CROWNED BEAUTY QUEEN
A woman who has suffered over 200 allergic reactions in seven years, has been crowned a BEAUTY QUEEN .
A-PAW-ABLE SHELTER DOGS POSE IN THE HOPE OF FINDING FOREVER HOMES
WE’RE all familiar with the heart-wrenching pictures of dogs abandoned in animal shelters, but one photographer has found an innovative way of showcasing the pooch’s personality .
MY CONTRACTIONS LASTED TWO MONTHS
AN expectant mum suffered crippling contractions lasting a gruelling two months, due to complications from a rare condition .
CHILD SHEPHERDS OF THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
WOMAN DUMPED OVER RARE SLEEP CONDITION FINDS LOVE
A personal trainer who was dumped over a life-changing sleep disorder has finally found love .
FAST FOOD FISHING
THIS is the awesome moment an Osprey catches its prey travelling at 50mph, giving new meaning to FAST FOOD .
CUDDLY TRAVEL BUNNY IS STOLEN AFTER JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
PORTRAITS IN PAKISTAN
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .
TIME TRAVELLING PHONE APP
OFFERING a glimpse into the past, a mash-up of old and new photographs show how the world’s biggest cities have changed .
INDONESIAN TRIBE UNTOUCHED BY MODERN LIFE
An Italian photographer travelled to the highlands of New Guinea where he met an Indonesian tribe untouched by the modern world .
SISTERS BOTH HAVE 1 IN 3.5M DISEASE THAT IS TURNING THEM TO CRYSTAL
Meet the sisters who have both been diagnosed with a one in 3 .
SUN ALLERGY MUM NICKNAMED 'VAMPIRE' BY KIDS
While most Brits look forward to long hot summer days, a mum-of-six will be staying in the shade - as she is allergic to the sun .