Brave Bev - Making Memories For Mum
Donation protected
Writing this and putting it out for the world to read is immensely difficult and it is something we’ve put off for a while because this still doesn’t seem like a reality in our lives. Just saying out loud that Mum has terminal cancer hurts on a level we still can’t comprehend.
In November 2017, at the age of 56, our mum was diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer that had spread to her pancreas.
The prognosis we have been given is 6-12 months (with or without chemotherapy) which means she may not be around to see the birth of her first grandchild in April 2018 or to play a part of her eldest daughter’s fairy tale wedding a year later. The timing is cruel and this couldn’t be happening to someone who wants and deserves to see these events as much as her, events she has been waiting so patiently for.
Our beautiful Mum has always been a selfless, kind person with a great sense of humour. She has never wanted the big things in life that so many of us strive for and has always been more concerned with the wellbeing of others rather than herself.
She has dedicated her working life to caring for the elderly, which is a testament to the type of person she is. I’m sure everyone who knows her would agree that her giving nature and love for her family, friends and those around her has known no bounds.
Like any daughters would, we endeavour everyday to help as much as we can financially but the truth is Mum’s care needs are evolving at a rapid rate and certain changes such as a tailored diet, alternative therapies and 24 hour care means there simply isn’t enough left over to make this time as special as we would like. This isn’t something we’ve had time to plan for and we want to ensure Mum isn’t worrying unnecessarily about anything so she can purely focus on the battle that lies ahead.
Although she misses it terribly, Mum can no longer work and we are keen to help relieve the financial burden this has inflicted on both our parents. Naturally our Dad has been left completely devastated and is now in the compromising position of trying to earn a living whilst wanting so desperately to be by mum’s side.
We’re hoping that running a campaign in Mum’s name will take away the feeling of helplessness and give us all something positive to focus on.
At present we are trying to get Mum onto an immunotherapy clinical trial, which, if we are successful will be through the Christie NHS Foundation Trust. We’ve been told there is only small chance of getting through the screening process and subsequently being selected as one of the people who will then be able to access the new drug. We are aware of alternative treatments that can fight gastric cancer with less toxicity than chemotherapy however these are not widely available in the UK and certainly not on the NHS so we may need to fund this ourselves.
Our aim is to raise as much money as we possibly can, all of which will go towards looking after Mum, making the most of the days where she feels well enough and for future treatment, should it come to that.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and to every single person who has supported us so far.
We will of course keep you all updated with her progress.
Sara & Gill
x
In November 2017, at the age of 56, our mum was diagnosed with stage IV stomach cancer that had spread to her pancreas.
The prognosis we have been given is 6-12 months (with or without chemotherapy) which means she may not be around to see the birth of her first grandchild in April 2018 or to play a part of her eldest daughter’s fairy tale wedding a year later. The timing is cruel and this couldn’t be happening to someone who wants and deserves to see these events as much as her, events she has been waiting so patiently for.
Our beautiful Mum has always been a selfless, kind person with a great sense of humour. She has never wanted the big things in life that so many of us strive for and has always been more concerned with the wellbeing of others rather than herself.
She has dedicated her working life to caring for the elderly, which is a testament to the type of person she is. I’m sure everyone who knows her would agree that her giving nature and love for her family, friends and those around her has known no bounds.
Like any daughters would, we endeavour everyday to help as much as we can financially but the truth is Mum’s care needs are evolving at a rapid rate and certain changes such as a tailored diet, alternative therapies and 24 hour care means there simply isn’t enough left over to make this time as special as we would like. This isn’t something we’ve had time to plan for and we want to ensure Mum isn’t worrying unnecessarily about anything so she can purely focus on the battle that lies ahead.
Although she misses it terribly, Mum can no longer work and we are keen to help relieve the financial burden this has inflicted on both our parents. Naturally our Dad has been left completely devastated and is now in the compromising position of trying to earn a living whilst wanting so desperately to be by mum’s side.
We’re hoping that running a campaign in Mum’s name will take away the feeling of helplessness and give us all something positive to focus on.
At present we are trying to get Mum onto an immunotherapy clinical trial, which, if we are successful will be through the Christie NHS Foundation Trust. We’ve been told there is only small chance of getting through the screening process and subsequently being selected as one of the people who will then be able to access the new drug. We are aware of alternative treatments that can fight gastric cancer with less toxicity than chemotherapy however these are not widely available in the UK and certainly not on the NHS so we may need to fund this ourselves.
Our aim is to raise as much money as we possibly can, all of which will go towards looking after Mum, making the most of the days where she feels well enough and for future treatment, should it come to that.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and to every single person who has supported us so far.
We will of course keep you all updated with her progress.
Sara & Gill
x
Organizer and beneficiary
Sara Abdolzadeh
Organizer
Sara Abdolzadeh
Beneficiary
