Britain's Got Talent star raises £50k after cancer diagnosis
Fans have generously donated and flooded the GoFundMe page with messages of support
Generous fans have donated more than £50,000 to Britain's Got Talent star Allan Finnegan who has been given 12 months to live.
The Baptist minister rocketed to fame on the 2020 series of Britain's Got Talent, who made it all the way to the semi finals after wowing audiences and judges with his stand-up act. Telling the world about his cancer diagnosis, the BGT star hoped to raise money for cancer treatment.
Finnegan, 56, has raised £51,000 already on GoFundMe. He said £150,000 would cover three rounds of treatment as each dose costs £50,000. So far about 500 people have donated to help his cause.
What is ocular melanoma?
It has been two years since Finnegan was diagnosed with ocular melanoma. Melanoma cancer develops from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes and most commonly affects the eyeball, according to the NHS.
The NHS lists symptoms of eye cancer including: shadows, flashes of lights, wiggly lines in your vision, blurred vision, a dark patch in your eye that gets bigger, a lump on your eyelid as well as eye irritation that doesn't go away.
Allan’s Cancer Treatment GoFundMe page
On GoFundMe, Finnegan shared his diagnosis with the world.
He said: "Hi my name is Allan Finnegan and I’m fundraising for life saving cancer treatment not available on the NHS. I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma 2 years ago and was treated successfully but unfortunately it has now metastasised into my liver and is incurable.
"I’ve been given 12 months but could extend this by receiving Chemosaturation Therapy, directly to the liver (Delcath). This would give me some valuable time with my family, friends and new 3 month old grandson, Albie.
"The treatment costs £50,000 per dose and I’ve been advised that I’ll need at least 3. Thank you so much for taking time to read this. Any donation would be greatly appreciated. Be blessed Allan."
Also the star shared a link to his 2020 audition on his GoFundMe page.
GoFundMe response
The GoFundMe page raised £25,000 in the first day and now that figure has doubled.
Generous people have shared words of encouragement as well as the £50,000 in donations. Among the sea of comments, one person who donated said: "Don’t know what to say, apart from, just hang in there and keep fighting."
Another person wrote on the GoFundMe page: "I just hope Allan reaches his target and gets the help that is needed for him on his journey." So far 48 messages of support have been left on the page.
Last week Finnegan responded with kind words, saying: "As a family we are completely blown away by the love and support we have received from you all over the past few weeks. Particularly since setting up our Go fund me page today.
"You have all been so kind and generous at a time when money is tight for everyone. We are so emotionally overwhelmed, humbled and blessed by your kindness. I am struggling to thank you all individually but will hopefully do so soon.
"Massive apologies if you don’t receive a personal thanks you, as there’s just so many. Thank you all for you love towards us as a family. Allan."
Allan's own words about cancer diagnosis
The Britain's Got Talent star gave a candid interview where he shared he only had 12 months to live. He wore his heart on his sleeve, detailing how hard the news had been for his family - mainly his wife Joyce, daughters Beccy and Rachael, and his mum Linda.
He told The Liverpool Echo: "Watching my wife and kids cry, seeing other people cry, that makes me more emotional.”
Plus he shared his reaction to the GoFundMe donations. He said: "I didn’t expect to get much but it did take off. It raised £25,000 on the first day.
"It massively surprised me. One of the things that made me think about not doing it is that you might realise people don't like you. That could make you even more depressed."
Find Allan Finnegan's GoFundMe page here.
Read more
Britain's Got Talent star has 12 months to live after cancer diagnosis
Simon Cowell forced to leave Britain's Got Talent auditions (Bang Showbiz, 2 min read)
Britain's Got Talent: Boos heard from crowd as 2023 winner is announced (The Independent, 2 min read)
