Faye Fantarrow was informed in August that she has an incurable brain tumor in the United Kingdom, just a few months after signing with Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart’s record company. A fundraising campaign for treatment in the United States has raised £200,000, but more is needed.
Faye Fantarrow, an upcoming vocalist, will go to California in the new year to begin a potentially life-saving treatment for a brain tumor.
The Sunderland-born, 20-year-old musician was diagnosed with an aggressive glioma tumor in August, having already beaten leukemia twice during her infancy.
While Faye has received radiotherapy in the United Kingdom, there is no cure, so her family and friends have raised £450,000 to pay the cost of CAR T-cell therapy and accompanying care in the United States.
After being signed by Eurythmics singer Dave Stewart to his label just a few months before her diagnosis, both he and his bandmate Annie Lennox have already given more than £200,000 to the cause.
It indicates that Faye has the funds to handle the initial expenses and is scheduled to fly to the City of Hope hospital in Duarte, Los Angeles County, in early January to have her cells taken. However, she must continue to raise funds to cover the remaining expenses for the entire process.
She will spend two weeks in the United States before returning to the United Kingdom at the end of the month for her first performance since her diagnosis.
“I’m eagerly anticipating the initial cell collection to begin the ball moving,” she said. “Having the gig scheduled gives me a sense of normalcy that I’ve been craving for a long time.
“I’m quite hopeful, but it’s also overwhelming. I’m excited to [begin the treatment process], but I’m also apprehensive since I’ve been having this talk for so long. My predominant reaction right now, though, is gratitude, because this initial stage would not have been possible without the gifts and support I’ve received.
Faye completed radiotherapy in October, and her doctor is satisfied with its effectiveness thus far in preventing the growth of tumors.
How does CAR T-cell therapy work?
In January in the United States, according to the singer, the first step will be to collect cells. Her tumors will then be monitored in the United Kingdom before she travels to California for the remainder of her therapy.
According to Cancer Research UK, CAR T-cell therapy is an “intricate and specialized treatment.” White blood cells are T-cells.
“In this treatment, a specialist gathers and modifies your T-cells in a tiny way. After a few weeks, you receive a blood transfusion with these cells. The T-cells then recognize and assault the cancer cells, according to the organization’s website.
Faye hopes that the radiotherapy will be sufficient to prevent the growth of the tumors until she can raise the total amount required.
After completing the course, she reports feeling overall better and having more energy, but she still experiences “ups and downs” However, she is finally feeling good enough to perform and is eager to return to the stage.
“This will be my first performance since everything has transpired,” she stated. “I believe I now feel well enough within myself, and I hope that the cell collection will not be too obtrusive.
“I believe it is necessary to express my gratitude on stage. I’m playing it as a type of promise – this is what’s to come in terms of my career.”
I cannot adequately convey how much I believe in Faye.
Faye has been creating music since she was a teenager when she picked up the guitar after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in response to a second diagnosis of leukemia.
It is considered that the glioma tumor is an unusual side effect of her prior cancer treatment.
In 2022, she signed with Stewart’s Bay Street Records, having won the Alan Hull award for songwriting in 2021. This award is given yearly in the North East in honor of the founder of Lindisfarne.
Stewart earlier told, “Faye is a fantastic young talent, a singer-songwriter in a class of her own.” “Writers as exceptional as Faye are rare, and I knew the moment I heard her voice that she was extraordinary.
“This summer, we spent an incredible amount of time together producing her new EP, only to receive this tragic news a few weeks later.
I cannot explain enough how much I believe in Faye and her talents as a singer and performer, but it’s her insightful views of the world around her that make me believe she deserves to be heard for a very, very long time.
“At only 20 years old, she is already a national treasure in my eyes, and I hope she will become one in yours as well.”
