Billy Connolly donates painting to Glasgow woman diagnosed with cancer five times

The Big Yin gifted the limited edition hand signed piece to help Stace O’Brien finally be cured after a brutal ten-year battle with the cruel illness.

It comes as the 38-year-old, from Glasgow, suffers from Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a genetic condition increasing her chances of getting cancer.

Stace has been battling cancer for ten years

She is left in “severe pain” everyday and feels “100-years-old” after doctors found cancer in her bones, breasts, lymph nodes, and sarcoma in her leg.

Stace hopes to travel to London for stem cell treatment which she believes could finally cure her, but it will cost around £30,000.

Now Scots comedy legend Billy Connolly has stepped in to help her on her way to recovery by giving her a ‘wind swept and interesting’ yellow painting which she plans to auction.

It comes after his team reached out saying: “We would gladly donate one of Billy Connolly’s hand-signed limited editions for you to sell, to help raise money for Stace’s treatment.”

Stace will sell the painting to pay for treatment

Billy Connolly has been building an art collection

Stace told the Glasgow Times: “It is so nice having a Sir Billy Connolly painting in the house that he gave to me.

“I’ve hung it on the wall just now so I can enjoy it until it sells, it is so amazing.

“I need to get it auctioned soon so I can get a treatment that may work and be painless.

“It will cost £30,000 but would mean the world to me as I’m so sickly now I just want to be able to do the things I used to do.

“I’m really struggling with severe pain, I am in agony.

"I feel so broken. I don’t know anyone else who has survived cancer five times but I’m hoping I will.”

Stace spends a lot of time in hospital

Stace was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer after suffering a burning pain in her hip which was revealed to be a tumour in January 2012.

She underwent gruelling chemotherapy and thought she was in remission for five years before finding a lump in her breast in February 2019.

She also underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery to tackle the illness but tragedy struck again in December 2019 when doctors found Lymph Node cancer.

Stace needs stem cell treatment that costs £30,000

Stace was then diagnosed with Sarcoma in her leg in February 2021 and underwent four surgeries to tackle it.

Then last October she was diagnosed with the cruel illness for the fifth time, as doctors found her breast cancer had spread to her chest wall, behind her heart and liver.

Now this year doctors have tragically found more cancer in her bones but Stace is determined to keep fighting.

Miraculously her cancer is now starting to shrink as she undergoes Exemestane, zoladex and phesgo treatment on the NHS.

But the aggressive treatment has left her in excruciating pain and in tears everyday leaving her desperate to get the stem Dendritic cell therapy could target her illnesses “pain free”.

Dendritic cells help the immune system recognise and attack abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. To make the vaccine, scientists grow dendritic cells alongside cancer cells in the lab.

The vaccine then stimulates your immune system to attack the cancer.

It comes after previous attempts to cure her condition left her infertile, temporarily blind, numb in her limbs and struggling to swallow.

Stace in 2012 around the time she was first diagnosed

Stace said: “I’m happy the new drug is helping but I’m in so much pain in my bones and joints I cry most days.

“It’s so painful I’m really not well with it although I got my results through and the cancer is shrinking which is a miracle.

“I’m even up every night taking pain medication at 3am but it’s just getting worse.

“I’ve been totally devastated by the treatments for my cancer, the effects of treatment can start to compromise my life so badly.”

A gofundme page has also been set up for Stace by her friends and family who are desperate to see her fight off the cancer.

The fundraiser has brought in more than £9,000 at the time of publishing and hopes to hit a £35,000 target soon.

The page reads: “Stace has been a close friend for over 30 years to many of us.

“We have come together to support her in receiving this life saving treatment.

“We will passing over any donations received directly to Stace so that she can arrange this as soon as possible.

“Lets aim to give this amazing, beautiful person the support and love she deserves.”

Stace added: “I’m actually desperate for the doctors to stop this pain no matter what it takes.

"I’m so touched by my friends doing all this and wanting me to live.

 “If we get more money from the fundraising then I will use it to start a support centre to help young newly diagnosed women learn how to cope with it.

“I really missed a place like this and think there is a real need for it.”

You can donate to help pay for Stace's care here.