THE relatives of a cancer victim have donated unused drugs worth thousands of pounds to a fellow sufferer.

Sheila Chapman, of The Grove, West Wickham, lost her battle against lung cancer last month.

The mother-of-three was refused Primary Care Trust funding for the cancer drug Tarceva so met the £2,500 per month costs herself.

During her treatment at Guy's Hospital, Mrs Chapman and her partner Leonard Worley met Linda Gordon, who is also suffering from lung cancer and was also refused the drug.

Mrs Chapman experienced severe side effects to Tarceva and was forced to stop taking it after just four days.

As a result, 24 of the tablets remain, and following her death, Mrs Chapman's daughter Rebecca and Mr Worley have donated the drugs to Mrs Gordon.

Mr Worley, 69, said: "We had followed Linda's story in News Shopper and we decided if we can give her an extra week of life it can only be a good thing.

"We were prepared to do anything for Sheila. When asked how we would fund it we thought, we have a house, we can sell it and live in a tent."

The former builder added: "You grab at straws. If you were on the Titanic and a piece of timber floated past you would grab it even if you knew it would not save your life."

Mrs Gordon, 47, said: "I am very emotional about this. It is very sweet and I am touched.

"I remember meeting Leonard and Sheila at Guy's and he told me he feels if he can do this she hasn't died in vain.

"Some people may say it is not a good idea to take somebody else's drugs but I used to work in pharmaceuticals so I know the only issue is how they were stored."

She added: "Even my solicitor told me to accept them. Between the devil and deep blue sea I don't have much choice."

Mrs Chapman's tablets have been kept in a drawer for the past month away from dampness and sunlight.

Mrs Gordon, of Southborough Lane, Bromley, added: "This is what it has come to. We are all looking after each other."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is not illegal to do this but it would be inadvisable to take drugs which have not been prescribed to somebody by their own physician."

  • Last week Mrs Gordon's solicitor launched legal proceedings against Bromley Primary Care Trust in a bid to force it to fund the drug Tarceva.