Strangers and friends have raised more than $150,000 for a Seattle man’s experimental life-saving cancer treatment after he found out his insurance wouldn’t cover it, as reported by SWNS.
Matt Maclean, 49, was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer after noticing blood in his stool in October 2020.
While sitting in the waiting room, he noticed the doctor pause before walking in — and immediately knew it wasn’t good news.
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Maclean, a small business owner and father of two, said it was a surreal moment. “My wife Elizabeth was with me, and it hit her more than me,” he said, per SWNS.
“When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ you feel a sense of dread, but I also felt a sense of peace because of my faith.”
Matt Maclean is pictured with his wife, Beth Maclean. “It hit her more than me,” he said of his diagnosis. (Beth MacLean / SWNS)
After getting a full-body scan to see if the cancer had spread, Maclean began treatment.
In September 2021, after undergoing months of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, Maclean was declared in remission, but continued to be monitored for any changes.
After one year, a test showed that his blood cancer markers had begun to rise, but a CT scan showed no signs of tumors.
‘Low point’
In spring 2024, a follow-up CT scan showed that Maclean had a significant tumor in his liver. He then underwent a successful liver resection.
This discovery put him at a stage four diagnosis. “That was a low point — I would say it was harder than my original diagnosis,” he said, according to SWNS.
The following surgery to remove the tumor was successful, but an MRI scan a month later showed two more tumors.
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Doctors then decided to try a dual approach where they would operate to remove the tumor and then perform localized chemotherapy.
In November 2024, three additional tumors were discovered during surgery, so doctors stopped the procedure, as they believed more surgery could promote the growth of additional tumors.
“When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ you feel a sense of dread, but I also felt a sense of peace because of my faith.”
“When I got out of surgery, I was shocked that they didn’t do anything,” Maclean said. “I had to overcome all that emotion, but the doctor did the right thing.”
After finding out he had five cancerous tumors, Maclean flew to IYA Medical in Scottsdale, Arizona, for localized chemotherapy.
In September 2021, Maclean was in remission. In spring of 2024, a follow-up CT scan showed that he had a significant tumor in his liver. (Beth Maclean / SWNS)
In January 2025, a follow-up MRI scan and blood test showed that the tumors were still there — the chemotherapy didn’t work.
“That was tough; I was getting scared at this point,” he said.
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“It has been a burden for them,” he said of his children. “They have the fear that they are going to lose their dad. That breaks my heart more than anything.”
“It has been very tough on my wife, too — she is our rock, and she has been nothing but supportive through this whole thing.”
‘Sheer generosity’
After finding out the chemotherapy didn’t work, Maclean discovered Verthermia, a Texas company specializing in full-body hyperthermic extracorporeal applied tumor therapy (HEATT).
This alternative type of cancer treatment uses a heart-lung machine to heat a patient’s blood outside the body as a means of shrinking tumors.
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Despite having FDA approval, the treatment is classified as experimental by Maclean’s insurance provider, so they don’t cover it.
Matt Maclean is pictured with his wife, Beth, and two teenage children, Josh (18) and Rachel (16). (Beth MacLean / SWNS)
That meant the father of two would have to raise more than $150,000 to pay for the treatment.
After posting a funding page, Maclean said he was “blown away” by the outpouring of support from strangers and members of his community.
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“My kids shared it with their friends, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many of them responded,” he said, per SWNS. “Even now, I am still in shock; I am overwhelmed by the sheer generosity people have shown to me.”
Maclean said he was touched by the outpouring of support. “Even now, I am still in shock; I am overwhelmed by the sheer generosity people have shown to me,” he said. (Beth MacLean / SWNS)
“The money doesn’t mean anything to me, more so it was realizing just how good people can be,” he added.
Maclean has booked an appointment for treatment at Verthermia on March 6, 2025, and is hopeful the treatment will be successful.
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“I’m hopeful that I will ultimately beat this thing, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support and love from my community and family.”
