A GROUP of Bromsgrove mums are desperately trying to help their friend raise £50,000 for specialist treatment for a rare form of cancer which threatens to leave her two children without a mother.
Clare Millward and the other parents of Lickey Hills Nursery have teamed up to help Katy Dawson get to Germany for potentially life-saving treatment.
Katy, who lives in Cofton Hackett, found a lump in her breast whilst she was 35 weeks pregnant with her now six-week-old son Evan, and was told the devastating news that she had triple negative tumors – an extremely rare form of the disease which only occurs in 15 per cent of cases.
“I felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath me,” Katy said.
The 36-year-old had to undergo a mastectomy just two weeks before her due date and luckily Evan was born a healthy 8lbs 4oz.
Unfortunately they found another larger tumor which indicated the cancer was trying to spread throughout the rest of her body and attack her major organs.
“We both thankfully came out of the surgery okay but the pathology results told us just how aggressive my cancer was – there was not one but two large tumors and the cancer had spread to four of my lymph nodes.
“Evan and Aurelia were our rays of sunshine in the darkness and trauma of the past few weeks.”
Although Katy has started her six-month course of chemotherapy, she fears it will not be enough to save her life. meaning she will have to leave baby Evan and daughter Aurelia behind, so she has been tireless researching to find a way to kick the cancer for good.
The pioneering new treatment she found does not exist in the UK and so Katy and her husband Paul will have to fly to Germany and spend £50,000 on what could be her only lifeline.
“My cancer diagnosis has taught me that nothing but our health and precious family and friends matter.
“I have to give this my best shot for my babies.
“And ladies, check your boobs.
“You are not too young for breast cancer”
Having tried to get a loan and remortgage their house they have not be able to raise the money and so their friends have stepped in to ask for help in putting an end to the family’s nightmare.
Clare said: “It really is every parents worst nightmare to leave you children without a mother.
“We can’t even imagine what they must be going through, it is such a horrific ordeal.
“They are not the sort of people to ask for help but when we heard what had happened we all decided we just had to help.
“Even if it is just a bit of money it all helps.”
Click here for more on the campaign and to donate to the cause.
