Elsa's Fund
Donation protected
Hi everyone!
My name is Nathalie, I am 36 years old, a wife and a mother of one and I live in Oxfordshire, England. At the age of 24, I was diagnosed with Stage IV, metastatic, incurable breast cancer. I’m thankful to still be alive after 12 years but things have changed and are not looking good. I am at a point where I have only one targeted treatment left on the NHS.
If you want to support me here is a little about my journey and what your support would mean to my family and I…
Over the last 12 years I have tried to live a relatively ‘normal life’. I have been fortunate enough to get married to my university sweetheart who has been with me since the beginning of my cancer journey and in September 2020, against all odds, we had our daughter Elsa.
With a new drive to survive for Elsa, in 2021 I underwent a first of a kind in the UK operation to remove the active cancer in my chest bone and replace it with donor bone rather than titanium. This procedure resulted in me having no evidence of active cancer in my body for the first time in a decade and the hope was I would remain so for many years. However, this hope was short lived and in summer of 2022 my cancer significantly progressed. I moved on to my next treatment line which failed quickly and my body deteriorated. By November 2022, the cancer had spread throughout my lymphatic system, bones, lungs and brain. The next treatment line alongside targeted brain radiotherapy worked for a year but has now devastatingly stopped working. I am currently having rapid progression throughout my body and brain and I am quickly becoming weaker.
My next line of treatment is the last targeted treatment available on the NHS. There are more treatments out there which would extend my life and give me more time with my daughter and husband, however these are currently only available privately and/or abroad. This is a very scary future to face, knowing that once this treatment fails, I am entirely at the mercy of clinical trials to extend my life any further. My daughter is 3 and although I know I will not be here long enough to see her through her childhood, I am desperate to get more time than this with her.
My health has had a huge impact on our finances as a family. Due to my health I have been unable to sustain any of the work that I had longed to do since completing my bachelor degree in tourism.
So it’s come to this, I have found myself here asking for help! The aim of this fundraiser is multifaceted with the overriding goal of extending my life and helping my family and I to spend as much quality time together as possible. The money raised will be used to:
I know times are tough for many people and many don’t have a lot to spare, but any contribution, however little or large, is hugely appreciated. I would also kindly ask that if you do any fundraising, privately or through work or other organizations, please do keep me in mind as a beneficiary. Lastly, if you could share this page far and wide, that would be wonderful.
Thank you for your continued love and support!
Love always,
Nat x
My name is Nathalie, I am 36 years old, a wife and a mother of one and I live in Oxfordshire, England. At the age of 24, I was diagnosed with Stage IV, metastatic, incurable breast cancer. I’m thankful to still be alive after 12 years but things have changed and are not looking good. I am at a point where I have only one targeted treatment left on the NHS.
If you want to support me here is a little about my journey and what your support would mean to my family and I…
Over the last 12 years I have tried to live a relatively ‘normal life’. I have been fortunate enough to get married to my university sweetheart who has been with me since the beginning of my cancer journey and in September 2020, against all odds, we had our daughter Elsa.
With a new drive to survive for Elsa, in 2021 I underwent a first of a kind in the UK operation to remove the active cancer in my chest bone and replace it with donor bone rather than titanium. This procedure resulted in me having no evidence of active cancer in my body for the first time in a decade and the hope was I would remain so for many years. However, this hope was short lived and in summer of 2022 my cancer significantly progressed. I moved on to my next treatment line which failed quickly and my body deteriorated. By November 2022, the cancer had spread throughout my lymphatic system, bones, lungs and brain. The next treatment line alongside targeted brain radiotherapy worked for a year but has now devastatingly stopped working. I am currently having rapid progression throughout my body and brain and I am quickly becoming weaker.
My next line of treatment is the last targeted treatment available on the NHS. There are more treatments out there which would extend my life and give me more time with my daughter and husband, however these are currently only available privately and/or abroad. This is a very scary future to face, knowing that once this treatment fails, I am entirely at the mercy of clinical trials to extend my life any further. My daughter is 3 and although I know I will not be here long enough to see her through her childhood, I am desperate to get more time than this with her.
My health has had a huge impact on our finances as a family. Due to my health I have been unable to sustain any of the work that I had longed to do since completing my bachelor degree in tourism.
So it’s come to this, I have found myself here asking for help! The aim of this fundraiser is multifaceted with the overriding goal of extending my life and helping my family and I to spend as much quality time together as possible. The money raised will be used to:
- Purchase an electric cargo pedal bike as I am no longer allowed to drive and too unwell to manage getting around on a traditional bike. This will allow me to retain some of my independence and ability to get me and my daughter around.
- Build up a fund for when I need to self fund testing and treatments in order to extend my life
- Help pay for supportive treatments to assist me in staying as strong as possible and give me a better quality of life
- Financially enable my family and I to create invaluable experiences and memories in the time we have left together, such as days out and visiting long dreamed of destinations.
Thank you for your continued love and support!
Love always,
Nat x
Co-organizers (2)
Nathalie Brett
Organizer
Ellie Bettinson
Co-organizer