A BROMSGROVE woman whose close friend has been diagnosed with terminal cancer is now looking to raise enough cash to fund her dream trip to see the Northern Lights.
Karen Brady has launched a crowd-funder to help her school friend Sally Lea tick the experience off her bucket list and to give her hope as she battles stage four cancer, which she was diagnosed with just months ago.
The 50-year-old, whom Karen met while at school in Nuneaton, underwent a gruelling nine-hour surgery last month to help prolong her life after receiving the devastating news her cancer had become terminal.
Karen is now in a race against time to raise the cash needed to fund the trip, and she is hoping to be able to hand the money over to Sally when the duo visit the Victoria Ground to see Bromsgrove Sporting play Nuneaton Borough on March 2.
To help her raise the money needed, she has enlisted the help of another old school friend, Mark Wilkes, who is fund-raising back in Nuneaton.
Karen left Nuneaton to move to Bromsgrove three decades ago but got back in touch with Sally in recent years.
She told the Standard: “Even though we lost touch years before bonds such as ours last a lifetime.
“She is so young and it is just devastating she is going through what she is, but her resilience, strength and unwavering spirit is remarkable.
“Seeing the Northern Lights is one of her dreams, we are hoping she will be well enough to go but if not, her husband Alan can use the money to take some time off work and spend some more time with her.”
Karen added she wanted the day out at Bromsgrove Sporting to be a celebration of Sally’s bravery.
“The game will be a great reunion of old school friends and a chance to show Sally how much she means to us.
“The Northern Lights represent the magic that can be found even in the darkest of times.
“This experience will serve as a source of inspiration and strength for someone who is truly strong and very much an inspiration to us all.”
