Annie urgently needs life-extending and potentially life-saving treatment both here in the UK and at the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre in Lisbon.

After a consultation with Professor Markus Buchler, one of the world’s leading pancreatic specialists, Annie has finally been offered something that gives her a fighting chance of survival.

He believes he can operate, even though doctors here cannot, due to the complexity of the tumour.

But he was very clear, Annie must have urgent chemotherapy to bring the cancer back under control before this happens.

This simply cannot wait.

Who Annie is

If you know Annie, you’ll know she has spent her entire working life supporting others.

As a learning support assistant and tutor, she has helped hundreds of children, many with additional needs, find confidence, calm, focus, and success when their lives felt overwhelming.

Her warmth, her patience, her gentle way of teaching has changed lives quietly, consistently, and without ever asking for recognition.

She is also a fiercely independent single mum to two older children who adore her. She has spent her working life helping others, patiently, diligently and with compassion.

Now she needs us. She needs our compassion. She needs our help.

We know many people are struggling, we don’t ask this lightly.

We know there are countless people right now who need help, who are facing their own difficult challenges. So we don’t take lightly this request for support.

But Annie is our friend, our colleague, the person so many of us care deeply about and want to fight for. She has spent years giving everything she has to children, families, and staff.

Why this is so urgent

Annie has recently completed several rounds of chemotherapy through the NHS.

However, she has now been placed on a mandatory treatment break to see what happens, and during this break her tumour markers have started to rise again, which is extremely worrying.

Professor Buchler in Lisbon was very clear that Annie must receive more chemotherapy quickly if she is to remain eligible for the surgery he can perform.

This is not something that can wait months.

It is a matter of weeks.

The full cost of Annie’s treatment, including urgent chemotherapy, surgery in Lisbon, travel, accommodation and aftercare is far more than she could ever manage alone. We are starting with a target of £25,000 to help her cover the most urgent and immediate stage of her treatment. Every pound raised will go directly towards the care she needs right now to give her the best possible chance.

We can’t do this without help.

What we are asking for

Our goal is £25,000.

That’s:

50 people giving £500, or

250 people giving £100, or

1,000 people giving £25, or

2,500 people giving £10

However you choose to help, it will make a real difference.

Every single donation, big or small makes a real, measurable difference.

We also know the kind of people Annie has around her. Her friends, colleagues and the families of the students she has supported are kind, generous and fiercely loyal. We know people will give what they can, and together we can help get her the treatment she needs.

Why it matters

Annie has always looked after her health, eaten well, lived well, and done everything “right”. Life has dealt her a tough, cruel hand, but it has also offered her a route forward.

There is a surgeon willing to operate.

There is a treatment plan.

There is hope.

But it is a race against time.

Please donate if you can, and please share this page far and wide.

Together we can help save Annie’s life.