MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
August 14, 2010, Saturday
A CANCER sufferer who raised GBP10,000 to visit Italy for controversial treatment has died.
In March, the Evening News told how father-of-six Robert Fyvie shunned chemotherapy in favour of a radical treatment.
The procedure - which sees cancer "as a fungus" - is overseen by Tullio Simoncini, and sees a catheter inserted straight into the liver in an intricate operation which cannot and will not be performed in the UK.
His other cancer treatments include baking soda.
Mr Fyvie, 59, of Eskview Terrace in Musselburgh, died peacefully at home last Friday, four months after the trip to Rome which was funded with his children's savings, money raised by his family and members of the local community.
Devastated wife Angie, 39, said: "There had been a bit of a problem with his treatment, getting the stuff delivered from Rome.
"He was in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for just over three weeks in June. By the time we got him back home we couldn't catch up with the medicine.
"It's terrible, but what is a great comfort to us is that I was sleeping beside him when he passed away so it was very peaceful. Now I just feel like I'm in limbo.
"He was the most courageous person you could have ever met. God broke the mould when he made him."
Mr Fyvie's son Marc, 15, had hoped that his dad would live to see him take part in his first boxing match at the Bronx Boxing Gym in Tranent on October 10.
Alex Brown, who runs the gym, said: "It was quite a shock, it was certainly a bit quicker than expected.
"He was still taking treatment when he got home here and I saw him about a week before he passed away.
"I knew Robert because his son comes in to do boxing at the gym. It was really sad that the treatment in Italy didn't prolong his life at all."
The former transport business owner was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006 and underwent an operation to remove the tumour, but the cancer spread to his liver.
Doctors in Britain refused to operate, saying it was too close to his biliary system and could potentially kill him.
He had always refused chemotherapy as he feared that lowering his immune system would make him less able to fight the cancer.
Mr Fyvie's search for an alternative cure took him to Thailand last summer where he spent 12 weeks taking herbal medicines, which he said made him feel stronger.
Mrs Fyvie eventually found the treatment after endless internet searching for a solution.
A funeral takes place on Monday at Richmond Craigmillar Parish Church in Niddrie at 1pm, and then at Mortonhall Crematorium at 2pm.
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