Speed March for brave 21-year-old who was given 4 days to live raises over £5,000

A former Royal Marine has led a 24-hour Star Wars themed Speed March to raise money and awareness for a courageous 21-year-old who was told he had just four days left to live. 

Alex Ivanoff, who owns the Anytime Fitness gyms in Southport and Maghull, took part in the event at his centre in Maghull after being inspired by 21-year-old Owen Copland. 

The event has already raised £5,000 towards flying Owen for vital treatment in Germany after he was given the devastating news that doctors had discovered an aggressive form of brain tumour, with the belief that he had just days left to live. That was seven months ago. 

Alex completed the mammoth challenge despite breaking his toe just two days before it began, after dropping a 25kg gym weight on it. 

He has built up a great friendship with Owen, determined to give him hope. He has donated his beloved Royal Marines green beret to Owen as a reward for his determination to regain his fitness through physio work and exercise. 

Alex has been partly inspired to help Owen by the traumatic death of his own dad, due to cancer.  

So far the event has raised over £5,000, with more people being encouraged to support the appeal. 

Anyone who wants to donate is being asked to support the Help Owen fight Glioblastoma – Fundraiser page on the Go Fund Me website. 

Alex said: “To everyone who came down to support on the day or the days leading up to and after the event, to all who have shared Owen’s story, to everyone who has donated, we wanted to say a massive thank you! We wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without you all.

“Our goal was to raise awareness for Owen and Glioblastoma and to raise money to get him to Germany for what could be life saving treatment which is unavailable to him on the NHS. Please keep sharing and donating to our Go Fund Me page so we can get Owen there!”

Owen, who lives in Maghull, was only 20 years old when he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumour.

After diagnosis, Owen was left bed-bound and began to lose mobility throughout his body.

Alex and the team at Anytime Fitness Maghull wanted to help so they have been regularly working with Owen to set him challenges and get his muscles functioning again.

Alex said: “With his sheer determination and positive outlook we have been able to get him out of his bed into a chair and going out on day trips.

“He’s even been able to come and visit us at the gym! He continues to work hard and amazes us all each and every day.

“His hard work is allowing him to become more and more independent and enjoy the things in life once again that we all take so much for granted.

“Doctors were not willing to provide treatment for Owen up until recently but after seeing the progress he has made both physically and mentally they have now offered him chemotherapy. “

Owen and his family are now hoping to be able to travel to Germany in order to receive what could be life saving treatment. 

The 24 hour Speed March at Anytime Fitness was one of a number of fundraisers being planned to help him. 

All are designed to raise money and awareness for Owen and his family during his recovery and for any medical care unavailable to him on the NHS. Alex is also hoping to bring more awareness for Glioblastoma research.

He said: “Owen was sent home and was told to prepare to die. He was given no hope. Some of the ways he has been treated have been so wrong. We are made to feel like battery hens sometimes. 

“He was just 20 years old and had his whole life ahead of him and then he woke up one day with a bad head, and his whole life changed. 

“Owen’s Mum, Gill Copland, came to me and said ‘we aren’t ready to give up on our son’. 

“The NHS removed his physio. His mum said ‘can you help?’ Owen’s Dad, Ken, and his sister, Jane, have also been leading the campaign. 

“My Dad, Stanley,  died with an aggressive form of cancer when I was young. It affected him in a similar way. 

“When I went to see Owen, he just needed some hope, something positive, to hold onto. 

“He is now going from strength to strength, he is doing really well. 

“Most importantly, he is not stranded in a room at home, staring up at the ceiling, waiting to die. 

“Because of the physio we have managed to give him he has now been able to get out of the house and get back to doing some of the things he loves, such as going to the cinema.

“Due to the great strides he has been making, and the improvements in his fitness, he is now finally being considered for treatment. 

“He now has hope. His body is following his mind. 

“We are doing the fundraising because the treatment he needs is so expensive. 

“Owen’s family are frantically campaigning to make as much noise as possible about their situation. There needs to be more research into Glioblastoma. 

“Tom Parker, one of the members of boy band The Wanted, was diagnosed last year with an inoperable brain tumour, a grade IV Glioblastoma. More needs to be done about this devastating condition.”

The Speed March fundraiser was a huge success, as people taking part in the challenge donned Star Wars themed fancy dress. 

Alex said: “Owen is a massive Star Wars fan! I got some guys who are into Comic Con to come down and dress in Star Wars costumes.

“I did 78 miles non-stop on the treadmill during the challenge. It was hard! 

“Two days before the challenge I broke my toe. I dropped a 25kg weight on it. But I couldn’t not do the challenge. 

“But Owen is in pain every single day. If I couldn’t put myself through a little pain for one day then there would be something wrong. 

“This Speed March was all about Owen and his wonderful family.”

• The next fundraiser for Owen Copeland is a Family Fun Day at the MCA Centre, Green Lane, Maghull, in association with the Maghull Community Association from midday this Saturday, 23rd October. There will be a whole host of fun, including: reptile show, singing princesses, bouncy castle, DJ, balloon artist, lucky dips, tombola, raffles, food, sweets, bar with alcohol, hot drinks, cakes, mascots and more. All are welcome. 

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