Sally's hubby Andy's lung cancer fundraiser
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Sally & Andy’s Story
Please read this story about a lovely young family who are coping the best they can with an unimaginable diagnosis that has left them reeling.
I would like to raise funds for this family to enable them to have one less thing to worry about, and possibly if we raise enough, to allow them to take some much needed time off together to make some wonderful memories for their lovely girls to look back on.
Sally and Andy met in April 2012, when Sally and her Roller Derby mates rolled into to Andy’s local pub to celebrate their win. It was 3 for 2 jagerbombs all night and Andy joined in with the ladies fun and he and Sally got chatting. Andy had been a smoker, but he decided to quit 6 months after they met. He used will power alone along with some encouragement from Sally!
Their relationship grew and progressed and Andy asked Sally to marry him. Sally not only received the customary engagement ring, but also a custom made bicycle, built by Andy himself, as this was his job at the time.
The couple married on 4th July 2014, and Andy began to study to change his career. Shortly after they decided he would return to education, Sally became pregnant so by the time he was finishing his courses, there was a newborn in the house. He took one of his exams on 2 hours of sleep and still got an A! After an access course he then was accepted at Brighton University to study Criminology and Social Policy. Meanwhile Sally continued to work as a Community Midwife at Worthing Hospital.
Eleanor arrived in May 2015, followed by Alexandra in September 2017. They moved into their current home in November 2015. With the completion of Andy’s degree in June 2018 the family were all set for their future. The years of struggling with the constant challenges of working, studying, worrying about finances and bringing up very small children would at least become easier now.
In November 2018 Andy got his first job post degree as a trainee case worker within Lewes & Eastbourne Council Housing Department, which he found stressful but rewarding, and he began to make some good friends at work.
In January of 2018, Andy had been suffering from a particularly persistent cough. With encouragement from Sally and others he visited his GP but investigations including a chest xray showed no abnormalities.
Sadly, in July 2018 Andy’s sister died very suddenly and this was an awful shock for the whole family.
In March 2019, Andy went to the Dr again, this time his breathing was becoming difficult and he was coughing up blood. The X-ray showed a shadow, and a two masses were confirmed by CT scan. Andy and Sally were informed that it could either be tuberculosis or lung cancer but a biopsy would need to be performed to confirm the diagnosis.
The biopsies and other tests revealed that Andy did indeed have 2 small lung tumours, around 2cms in diameter, one in his left lung and the other is a lymph gland tumour which is too close to the aorta to remove with surgery. The news that Andy had stage 3A lung cancer was devastating. Sally recalls that they both went to McDonalds as Andy was so hungry after being nil by mouth for his procedure and they sat in a fog of shock and disbelief.
Removal of Andy’s left lung was considered for a time, but because the lymph tumour is not removable without risk to his heart and major blood vessels, the surgeons felt this was not an option.. The lymph tumour had broken through to his oesophagus however so he went up to Guy’s Hospital in London to have it lasered and the area cauterised. This should have been a day case admission but he ended up staying 3 days due to his left lung which stopped functioning and Andy needing oxygen therapy. In the end Andy was doing bicep curls with the canisters of oxygen to improve his oxygen saturations to 98% so he could return home! Andy was the youngest patient on the ward by far, and both Sally and Andy have nothing but praise for the amazing care Andy received up there.
Andy and Sally are both 43 years old. This twist of fate is so very cruel, especially as they both have given so much help to others in their working lives.
The financial impact on a family undergoing treatment for cancer is huge. Andy has been unable to work since his diagnosis, and Sally is supporting the family once again. She has had to adapt her workload and hours to allow her to attend to Andy if needed, or to help with the children.
Travel to and from hospital for treatment and parking costs a great deal. Negotiating the benefits system as been very challenging and time consuming also.
Andy has undergone radiotherapy every weekday for 6 weeks and has also completed a course of weekly Chemotherapy. They now face an agonising wait for the next set of results….
The statistics for lung cancer make grim reading.
Every year there are over 47,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed.
In 2016 35,620 deaths were from lung cancer
Lung cancer kills more than any other cancer
Lung cancer is the 2nd most common cancer to affect males.
Of those diagnosed at stage 3, only 5% are expected to survive 5 years
Please read this story about a lovely young family who are coping the best they can with an unimaginable diagnosis that has left them reeling.
I would like to raise funds for this family to enable them to have one less thing to worry about, and possibly if we raise enough, to allow them to take some much needed time off together to make some wonderful memories for their lovely girls to look back on.
Sally and Andy met in April 2012, when Sally and her Roller Derby mates rolled into to Andy’s local pub to celebrate their win. It was 3 for 2 jagerbombs all night and Andy joined in with the ladies fun and he and Sally got chatting. Andy had been a smoker, but he decided to quit 6 months after they met. He used will power alone along with some encouragement from Sally!
Their relationship grew and progressed and Andy asked Sally to marry him. Sally not only received the customary engagement ring, but also a custom made bicycle, built by Andy himself, as this was his job at the time.
The couple married on 4th July 2014, and Andy began to study to change his career. Shortly after they decided he would return to education, Sally became pregnant so by the time he was finishing his courses, there was a newborn in the house. He took one of his exams on 2 hours of sleep and still got an A! After an access course he then was accepted at Brighton University to study Criminology and Social Policy. Meanwhile Sally continued to work as a Community Midwife at Worthing Hospital.
Eleanor arrived in May 2015, followed by Alexandra in September 2017. They moved into their current home in November 2015. With the completion of Andy’s degree in June 2018 the family were all set for their future. The years of struggling with the constant challenges of working, studying, worrying about finances and bringing up very small children would at least become easier now.
In November 2018 Andy got his first job post degree as a trainee case worker within Lewes & Eastbourne Council Housing Department, which he found stressful but rewarding, and he began to make some good friends at work.
In January of 2018, Andy had been suffering from a particularly persistent cough. With encouragement from Sally and others he visited his GP but investigations including a chest xray showed no abnormalities.
Sadly, in July 2018 Andy’s sister died very suddenly and this was an awful shock for the whole family.
In March 2019, Andy went to the Dr again, this time his breathing was becoming difficult and he was coughing up blood. The X-ray showed a shadow, and a two masses were confirmed by CT scan. Andy and Sally were informed that it could either be tuberculosis or lung cancer but a biopsy would need to be performed to confirm the diagnosis.
The biopsies and other tests revealed that Andy did indeed have 2 small lung tumours, around 2cms in diameter, one in his left lung and the other is a lymph gland tumour which is too close to the aorta to remove with surgery. The news that Andy had stage 3A lung cancer was devastating. Sally recalls that they both went to McDonalds as Andy was so hungry after being nil by mouth for his procedure and they sat in a fog of shock and disbelief.
Removal of Andy’s left lung was considered for a time, but because the lymph tumour is not removable without risk to his heart and major blood vessels, the surgeons felt this was not an option.. The lymph tumour had broken through to his oesophagus however so he went up to Guy’s Hospital in London to have it lasered and the area cauterised. This should have been a day case admission but he ended up staying 3 days due to his left lung which stopped functioning and Andy needing oxygen therapy. In the end Andy was doing bicep curls with the canisters of oxygen to improve his oxygen saturations to 98% so he could return home! Andy was the youngest patient on the ward by far, and both Sally and Andy have nothing but praise for the amazing care Andy received up there.
Andy and Sally are both 43 years old. This twist of fate is so very cruel, especially as they both have given so much help to others in their working lives.
The financial impact on a family undergoing treatment for cancer is huge. Andy has been unable to work since his diagnosis, and Sally is supporting the family once again. She has had to adapt her workload and hours to allow her to attend to Andy if needed, or to help with the children.
Travel to and from hospital for treatment and parking costs a great deal. Negotiating the benefits system as been very challenging and time consuming also.
Andy has undergone radiotherapy every weekday for 6 weeks and has also completed a course of weekly Chemotherapy. They now face an agonising wait for the next set of results….
The statistics for lung cancer make grim reading.
Every year there are over 47,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed.
In 2016 35,620 deaths were from lung cancer
Lung cancer kills more than any other cancer
Lung cancer is the 2nd most common cancer to affect males.
Of those diagnosed at stage 3, only 5% are expected to survive 5 years
Co-organizers (2)
Sarah Tolchard
Organizer
England
Sally Harborow
Beneficiary
Fler Wright
Co-organizer