'Please help me save my dad': Nurse appeals for funds to support father's cancer treatment

April Napala, who is British-Filipina, made her home in Shrewsbury two years ago and works as a nurse for Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.

She is hoping to raise £5,000 for her father who is in need of treatment which requires him to fly to Manila – 900 miles away from his loved ones at home in Davao.

After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of Colon Cancer in 2019, Arnolito Napala has survived three major surgeries, chemotherapy, ITU admissions and is now left with half a liver.

The Napala family have exhausted their life savings to support him and have taken out loans, but are now at the point where the cost of treatment is exceeding their income.

Having spent more than £70,000 so far April said– as a rough estimate– the need to fund Arnolito's treatment has been compared to filling an unfillable well.

At the start of the year, Arnolito was not having chemotherapy and starting to gain his strength back.

But only recently the family were informed that a new tumour has emerged in his liver again– right next to a major artery.

Now April has set up the Gofundme to raise money for her dad and is gearing up to take on the C2C Challenge– travelling the width of England on a kick scooter.

"It’s something I have never even thought of before. I do a bit of walking but nothing like this.

"I never thought I would do it really if it wasn’t for the support of my partner who is doing it with me and has done all the logistics of the trip so I can just focus on the fundraising.

"With more people messaging me and helping out, I feel more and more supported and energised to just give it my all."

The Coast to Coast (C2C) Challenge covers 137 miles between the Irish Sea and the North Sea, starting from Workington, Cumbria and finishing in Tynemouth, North East England.

April keeps in touch with her dad every day that she's not at work and plans to fly over to the Philippines next year for her dad's 60th birthday.

"My dad is a super generous, always present, chill being who’s filled with amazing stories, music and laughter," April said.

"When we were little, he would sing lullabies to us on his guitar and drove us to all our school and after school events. He’s the best.

"We are very close. Dad would always say we are like-minded and we see the world through the same window.

"Frankly I learned a lot about life from my dad, and that positive radiance is what pushes us as a family, day after day through these tough times."

On the gofundme page, April says: "If we cannot pay for his next chemo or his next treatment, he will not live long.

"Next year he will be turning 60. An unimaginable age three years ago, now so close to being a reality.

"We truly see every day as a blessing and the idea of celebrating dad’s birthday as a family gives us the strength to fight on.

"Please help me save my dad by giving what you can and sharing this fundraiser to others."

To make a donation to support April's gofundme visit gofund.me/ab734ccf.