A FACEBOOK post showing a receipt for a dose of chemotherapy for Delays frontman Greg Gilbert has gone viral, being shared more than 6,000 times in 48 hours.

The photo was posted by Stacey Heale, Greg's fiancee, revealing the £1,860 price tag and calling on people to fight to protect the NHS.

Stacey, from Bitterne Park, Southampton, launched a crowdfunding campaign in November 2016, when Greg, also an artist and father of two, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, which had spread to his lungs.

The campaign went viral, hitting its initial £100,000 target in 48 hours, and has now raised more than £212,000.

The couple are now using this money to pay for Avastin, which is not available to them on the NHS but which they have been advised, due to a particular genetic mutation he has, is the best treatment for him.

In the post, which Stacey shared following Greg's first dose of Avastin, at Southampton General Hospital, she wrote: "Greg begins six months of chemotherapy today. This is a daunting prospect after six months of last year taken up with the same. I know the drill, I know what I need to do on these days as his carer.

"Today was slightly different though. In between the collection of packages from the chemist, organising future blood tests and watching Greg puking and shivering in a chair as the drugs take hold, I also had to find the finance department because we are having to pay for the cancer drug Avastin.

"They were very confused; people don't just rock up and pay for cancer treatment. You either have what is available on the NHS or you don't have it, that's the deal for most people.

"I was asked if this was the amount for the full treatment I explained no, this is for one round, I would be coming back in three weeks to pay another £1860.83 and would continue to do this every three weeks for six months. They were horrified.

"This is the reality of cancer care and the NHS. We are in the exceptional position to be able to pay for this because of the unprecedented generosity of people but ours is not the usual situation. This is happening right now. Today. Imagine having to know that you couldn't have a drug that would either save your life or buy you more time with loved ones because of money. That's the deal.

"Our NHS is more than a British institution or a bastion of ideals, its life and death. It's the life of my partner and the father of my babies. Actively fight for this because we won't have another chance."

As well as being shared more than 6,000 times, at the time of writing, it has also been commented on almost 2,000 times.

"The nature of a viral post is that people will write things on it that you don't agree with but I hope that good will come of it, that lots of people see the reality of cancer care and that the NHS is worth funding properly and fighting for," said Stacey.

"The flip side is that people start blaming immigrants, when less than one percent of the NHS budget goes on 'health tourism' and it's scapegoating nonsense.

"You have to let people have their say, but I wouldn't want anyone to think that's my opinion.

"We are trying to celebrate the NHS. It's so amazing but it's about people's lives and we have to fund it properly."

Stacey, who writes a weekly column for the Echo, called Postcards from the Storm, and also blogs at Beneath the Weather, says that she is happy to share any platform she has to champion the NHS, raise awareness about cancer treatment and help anyone going through something similar to feel less isolated.

She acknowledges that while many responses have been supportive, some have attacked the couple.

"Greg went onto a page where someone shared it and they were saying it's a big sob story and we are trying to get money, although I didn't put anything on the post about needing money," she says.

"Greg went on and said 'it's not a sob story, it's our life. Yes, I'm crying because I might die, so don't try to publicly shame us."

She adds that she has avoided getting sucked into online debates.

"No amount of arguing on Facebook will change people's minds. People just get more entrenched in their view and it's a waste of energy and I'd rather spend it on something positive."