Ford Mustang enthusiasts help raise more than £80,000 for Northampton mum's terminal cancer treatment

A father-of-two from Northampton has thanked the Ford Mustang enthusiasts who helped raise enough money to pay for the first stage of his wife's terminal cancer treatment.

Rob Scholefield started his fundraising appeal by selling his prized Mustang two weeks ago but has ended up with more than £80,000 due to the generosity of strangers.

The funds will pay for Kim Scholefield to start proton therapy for her brain tumour with a specialist at a private clinic in Reading next month, potentially giving her years more to live.

Welling up, Rob, 49, told the Chronicle & Echo: "I can't tell you what that money means to my family and Kim.

"She's my rock and what these people have done has amazingly got us over the line.

"I promised my girls I would save her - I get emotional as I've always tried to sort things on my own but now I don't feel alone."

In May, Kim, 48, from Kingsthorpe, was told a tumour had been found on her brain - having previously been in remission after being diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017.

Proton therapy was recommended but it is not available on the NHS so Rob appealed for someone to buy his supercar through the members club Simply Mustangs UK (SMUK) to raise some money.

The Facebook group's administrators decided to help the family with around £42,000 raised in a few days through donations, auctions and raffles from members.

Co-founder and lead administrator Samantha Curnock said: “I knew from SMUK’s previous charity fundraising efforts for children’s, air ambulance, cancer and mental health charities that our members are generous to a fault.

"But I could never have expected something as big and fast moving as we have seen in the last 10 days."

As well as the fundraising support, SMUK organised a drive-by with around 20 Mustangs for the Scholefields outside Allen Ford at Riverside Retail Park on Friday (July 10).

The family was there to collect a free Ford Focus estate and fuel card, courtesy of the carmaker as Rob had also sold their Mini to fund the cancer treatment, leaving them with no car.

"My seven-year-old loved it as she's a massive petrolhead and she loved my car so it was a hugely emotional day," he said.

"I need to thank these people who have scooped up my family and given Kim that lifeline."

The proton therapy is more focused than radiotherapy and Rob understands the worst case scenario is it could give Kim another 12-18 months to live or, best case scenario, kill the tumour.

The fundraising campaign is far from over though as he needs to raise around £100,000 to pay for targeted immune therapy in Germany, which could potentially cure the cancer.

Rob said: "We've got a long way to go but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I've had messaged from other countries, it really restores your faith in humanity as well."

To donate, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lee-brown-810.