Over €20,000 raised for man diagnosed with two cancers
Calvin Brincat says he checked out stomach pain over 10 times but was told it was nothing
A fundraiser for a 32-year-old man who was diagnosed with two cancers last month has raised over €20,000, two days after it was set up.
Calvin Brincat, a previous participant of the Maltese reality TV show Hazzzard, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the bile duct, outside the liver.
As of Monday afternoon, he raised €20,722 - two days after his mother set up the 4fund page seeking €50,000.
“Funds raised will support Calvin’s journey and ease some of the burden of the expenses, including medical treatments, daily living costs and any unexpected costs,” the fundraiser read.
Brincat, a deliveryman and event planner, told Times of Malta he has had to stop working because of the medical tests and treatment, with the funds collected from the public covering his daily living expenses.
He began to experience intense stomach pain three years ago when he first discovered a hernia on the left side of his stomach.
Despite undergoing an operation, he continued to experience cramps for two years, including when he took part in Hazzzard in 2024.
"I went to check out the pain [at hospital] over 10 times, but I was told it was nothing," he said.
"In December, I experienced a huge pain in my stomach, and I went to the health clinic, where I was told I could have an infection in my kidneys. I was given medication to deal with the gas I had trapped in my stomach, and for a while, the pain reduced."
But days later, Brincat travelled to Budapest, where the pain grew. Despite taking the medication, he could not stomach any food and later realised his urine was brown. He was also throwing up frequently.
He was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital, and following a week of tests and an MRI, he was diagnosed with the early stages of cancer in his pancreas and liver.
He said he is currently in pain and will be informed of what medical treatment he needs following an operation on his liver to help him ease the pain.
Friends and family members shared the fundraiser to help Brincat.
Ryan Barbara was among those who posted the fundraiser for his friend.
“We’ve trained together and struggled together. And now, he is fighting something bigger than any of us imagined,” he wrote.