THE family of kidney cancer victim Andy Crabb are planning to help other sufferers by setting up a charity in his memory.

Mr Crabb, 50, a builder from Abingdon, died on October 3 following a long struggle with the disease.

Before his death Mr Crabb campaigned to get the life-extending drug Sunitinib prescribed on the NHS.

He was among 25 kidney cancer sufferers in Oxfordshire who were denied funding for the drug because it was deemed too expensive.

However, in November last year, the father-of-three from Crosslands Drive was told his third appeal to be given the drug on the NHS had been successful.

His family plan to set up a charity in his name, which will help kidney cancer sufferers when they are first diagnosed.

Mr Crabb’s stepdaughter Tracy Groom said she would seek advice from Kate Spall, who set up a similar charitable fund after her mother Pamela Northcott died from kidney cancer in 2007.

Mother-of-two Mrs Groom, from Sutton Courtenay, near Abingdon, said: “The family would like to set up a charity in dad’s memory, which would provide financial support to kidney cancer sufferers when they are first diagnosed. That’s the most critical time for people, because they are in shock.

“It’s an absolute nightmare, and a charity might be able to take some of the stress away.”

She added: “It’s too early to talk about fundraising targets, but I’m currently talking to the Charity Commission about who we could help, and how to go about setting up the charity.”

Clive Stone, from Freeland, near Witney, a fellow kidney cancer patient and campaigner and spokesman for the Friends of Renal Oncology group, said: “I would welcome this.

“Anything that raises the profile of kidney cancer sufferers has to be a good thing.

“The UK does not compare well with other European countries when it comes to five-year cancer survival rates, and we need to keep this issue in the public eye.”

Mr Crabb died hours after he was told about the birth of his 10th grandchild.

More than 500 people attended his funeral in Abingdon last month and Mr Crabb’s widow Dianne has thanked people for their support.

When Mr Crabb was originally told he would have to pay £3,300 every six weeks for Sunitinib, people in the town held a series of fundraising events to help with the cost of the drug.

Mrs Crabb said: “I would like to thank all our wonderful friends and family that helped us fight for Andy’s life and for the treatment that he so rightly deserved.”

She added: “I would also like to thank all the other new friends who helped with the fundraising to help pay for treatment and made the last two years memorable and wonderful.”

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