Hi, my name is Chris Ansell. Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis which is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. I've lived with this illness for 13 years and have managed it through medication.

 

Three years ago, I went to the hospital for a routine blood appointment and was told that an anomaly had been found within my blood that needed further diagnosis. After several procedures, I was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic liver disease that slowly damages the bile ducts.

Six months ago, I felt unwell and started showing signs of jaundice (yellowing of the eyes & skin).

 

I have been in and out of hospital for the last three months, trying to get to the root cause. Three weeks ago, my wife and I sat in front of the liver consultant and were told that I needed a liver transplant due to the severity of the PSC. Whilst this information was a shock, we were also told further diagnosis was needed as they believed there might be something more than PSC.

On Monday 21st March our worst fears came true. We were told that I had Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile-duct cancer.

 

The next steps are clear; however, it's not so clean-cut for me. Whilst I still need a liver transplant to survive, UK policy dictates that if cancer is found, you are not eligible for transplant.

As it stands within the UK there are no viable alternatives to save my life; just prolong it via treating cancer.

 

However, there are private options outside of the UK where I could get the liver transplant needed to save my life. We are currently in discussions with consultants in Ireland and Switzerland; however, this treatment wouldn't be covered via the NHS and would need to be paid for by myself.

 

I'm 35 years old, have a beautiful wife and 4-year-old daughter, haven't abused my body via drugs/alcohol and never smoked. I still have a whole life to live and more memories to make.

 

Please help by donating what you can to help us achieve our fundraising goal to receive this life-saving treatment.

 

Thank you

Chris