Help Natalie in her Fight against Rare Cancer
Donation protected
Mother. Wife (formally Natalie Tapper). Daughter. Singer. Actress. Business Manager… Cancer Patient
In the spring of 2019 my life drastically changed. I’d been experiencing ‘pressure’ in my upper left thigh for four months and consequently, after having been misdiagnosed with sciatica by the 6th doctor I insisted on an MRI scan and my concerns were validated with a damning diagnosis of a very rare, poor-prognosis, cancer: Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma.
I was devastated. The word ‘cancer’ conjures only the assumption that you are going to die.
I have a five year old son, a husband and a loving family, a good job as a School Business Manager - so much to live for – so, fighting became my intention:
I started chemo swiftly which left me feeling like I was dying inside. I could do nothing for myself or my child and without the support of my family I am not sure I would have made it through. There were times when I could not eat due to three hard protocols of drugs: I had mouth ulcers and virtually every symptom the doctors said could happen, all happened to me. I have lost count of how many chemo cycles I actually did but I started in April and finished in July 2019.
A month after chemo had ended I found myself living in hospital for what would eventually be four months. During that time, I underwent two gruelling eight-hour operations to remove a massive tumour, 4 further operations to reduce fluid, and then I was working tirelessly at rehabilitation – how to move, walk, make a cup of tea – all the basics I’d taken for granted before I had to learn to do again…
When December (the fourth month) came around, I pestered the consultant to return home for Christmas, I just wanted to be back with my five year old son & husband and do the things that families do over the festive period, which they thankfully allowed.
My 4 month stint in hospital and recurrent operations meant I went back to my son a very different version of the mother that had left him. I was now disabled due the operation which saw my pelvic bone removed and not replaced. I still cannot walk without the aid of crutches and don’t know if I ever will.
Anyway, we were back together and that was the main wonderful thing – but then I lived in fear of needing to leave them again. I prayed I would not have to and my son who followed me around aimlessly, scared in case I left without him knowing, also very much hoped not…
After nine months of being cancer free, in Oct 2020 the cancer had returned to both of my lungs. In November 2020 I had 6 cancerous lesions removed from one lung and looked forward to the same success with the next op on the other lung. But then, as is so often the case with cancer, six weeks later I received a telephone call from my consultant who broke the news that there would be no second operation: the cancer had come back in the lung that had just been operated on.
The Doctors informed me that due to the quick reoccurrence of the disease they would assume that this would happen in my other lung and so the long term benefit of having the operation would not benefit my long term survival. This truly broke my spirits and images of my son who I dreaded leaving again flashed before me. I just want to live for him. I must.
As we entered 2021 it was made clear to me that there is nothing more the hospital can do.
I am now seeking alternative methods – a fellow cancer patient recommended a brilliant scientist in Germany who has, since speaking with him, given me some hope – light at the end of the tunnel. I have been prescribed a cocktail of re-purposed drugs which, unfortunately, have to be ordered privately as my nhs consultant will not write me a prescription for them - and they are very e.x.p.e.n.s.i.v.e.
I am technically ‘employed’ but I am no longer receiving any pay due to my long absence over the past two years, so I am seeking help from you good people in the hope that I can fund these life-prolonging drugs, I am also waiting for my tissue sample to be assessed to see if I might be suitable for immunotherapy, if I am then this would have to be funded privately. If the worse were to happen, any money raised would go towards supporting my son and a donation would be made to Macmillan Cancer Research.
My faith is strong, I want to live to see my little boy grow up, I’ve struggled to accept that I will not ‘get better’ – but I can’t accept not trying.
In the spring of 2019 my life drastically changed. I’d been experiencing ‘pressure’ in my upper left thigh for four months and consequently, after having been misdiagnosed with sciatica by the 6th doctor I insisted on an MRI scan and my concerns were validated with a damning diagnosis of a very rare, poor-prognosis, cancer: Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma.
I was devastated. The word ‘cancer’ conjures only the assumption that you are going to die.
I have a five year old son, a husband and a loving family, a good job as a School Business Manager - so much to live for – so, fighting became my intention:
I started chemo swiftly which left me feeling like I was dying inside. I could do nothing for myself or my child and without the support of my family I am not sure I would have made it through. There were times when I could not eat due to three hard protocols of drugs: I had mouth ulcers and virtually every symptom the doctors said could happen, all happened to me. I have lost count of how many chemo cycles I actually did but I started in April and finished in July 2019.
A month after chemo had ended I found myself living in hospital for what would eventually be four months. During that time, I underwent two gruelling eight-hour operations to remove a massive tumour, 4 further operations to reduce fluid, and then I was working tirelessly at rehabilitation – how to move, walk, make a cup of tea – all the basics I’d taken for granted before I had to learn to do again…
When December (the fourth month) came around, I pestered the consultant to return home for Christmas, I just wanted to be back with my five year old son & husband and do the things that families do over the festive period, which they thankfully allowed.
My 4 month stint in hospital and recurrent operations meant I went back to my son a very different version of the mother that had left him. I was now disabled due the operation which saw my pelvic bone removed and not replaced. I still cannot walk without the aid of crutches and don’t know if I ever will.
Anyway, we were back together and that was the main wonderful thing – but then I lived in fear of needing to leave them again. I prayed I would not have to and my son who followed me around aimlessly, scared in case I left without him knowing, also very much hoped not…
After nine months of being cancer free, in Oct 2020 the cancer had returned to both of my lungs. In November 2020 I had 6 cancerous lesions removed from one lung and looked forward to the same success with the next op on the other lung. But then, as is so often the case with cancer, six weeks later I received a telephone call from my consultant who broke the news that there would be no second operation: the cancer had come back in the lung that had just been operated on.
The Doctors informed me that due to the quick reoccurrence of the disease they would assume that this would happen in my other lung and so the long term benefit of having the operation would not benefit my long term survival. This truly broke my spirits and images of my son who I dreaded leaving again flashed before me. I just want to live for him. I must.
As we entered 2021 it was made clear to me that there is nothing more the hospital can do.
I am now seeking alternative methods – a fellow cancer patient recommended a brilliant scientist in Germany who has, since speaking with him, given me some hope – light at the end of the tunnel. I have been prescribed a cocktail of re-purposed drugs which, unfortunately, have to be ordered privately as my nhs consultant will not write me a prescription for them - and they are very e.x.p.e.n.s.i.v.e.
I am technically ‘employed’ but I am no longer receiving any pay due to my long absence over the past two years, so I am seeking help from you good people in the hope that I can fund these life-prolonging drugs, I am also waiting for my tissue sample to be assessed to see if I might be suitable for immunotherapy, if I am then this would have to be funded privately. If the worse were to happen, any money raised would go towards supporting my son and a donation would be made to Macmillan Cancer Research.
My faith is strong, I want to live to see my little boy grow up, I’ve struggled to accept that I will not ‘get better’ – but I can’t accept not trying.
Organizer
Natalie Renford
Organizer
