❤️ Help Me Make My Mum’s Time Count ❤️

My mum is only 57 and has been battling a rare form of ovarian cancer called ovarian carcinosarcoma. We have recently been told that we may have around 12 months together, and we don’t know how long she will remain well enough to travel, celebrate special occasions and make memories with the people she loves.

She still has so much life ahead of her and dreams of travelling with her family. Mexico, Hawaii, the Maldives and Cape Verde are some of the places she has always dreamed of visiting. We know that some of those places may not be realistic for us financially, and Mum completely understands that. They are simply her dream destinations.

In fact, Mum has said to me that for the places she may never get to see herself, she wants me to go and experience them one day for her — because she will always be with me. ❤️

But right now, while she is still well enough, I would love to give her the chance to experience somewhere special with all of us.

Something much more achievable, like Gran Canaria or Spain, would mean so much to her. It isn’t really about where we go — it’s about having that time together and making memories while she is still able to enjoy them.

This Christmas feels especially important because her birthday is on Christmas Eve. My dream would be to take her and the whole family away, perhaps rent a beautiful cottage or find somewhere lovely where we can all be together, celebrate Christmas and her birthday and create memories we will treasure forever.

It doesn’t have to be extravagant or abroad. Having us all together is what matters most.

Unfortunately, I can’t afford to make these plans alone. We no longer have the luxury of saving gradually or booking things far in advance. We need to make the most of the time she has now, while she is still well enough to travel, enjoy herself and make these memories with us.

Any support would help towards a holiday, Christmas away, family accommodation, special days out, meals, experiences or even allowing me to take some time off work to be with her.

I know I can’t give my mum more time, but I want to help make the time she has as happy, meaningful and full of love as possible.

I want us to laugh, explore, eat lovely food, celebrate together and make memories that we can hold onto forever.

And when the time eventually comes that I have to visit some of those places without her, I’ll know she’ll be there with me in everything I see and every memory I make. ❤️

If you can donate, no matter how small, I will be incredibly grateful. Even a small donation could help turn a simple family holiday or special day into a memory we’ll have forever.

And if you can’t donate, sharing this page could help us more than you realise.

❤️ More Than Fundraising — Raising Awareness

Although our biggest wish is to make as many beautiful memories with Mum as possible, there is another reason why we are sharing our story: to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, particularly the rare and aggressive form Mum has, called ovarian carcinosarcoma.

Before Mum was diagnosed, she experienced symptoms that turned out to be part of a much bigger picture.

She was being sick every morning and was told by doctors that it was just anxiety. She experienced pain and discomfort across her abdomen, sometimes so badly that she struggled to walk comfortably. She had difficulty going to the toilet, and she also experienced unexpected bleeding after she believed she had gone through menopause.

These are things that, looking back, we wish we had understood more about. It is heartbreaking to think about what Mum was experiencing and how different life might have felt if we had known sooner what was happening.

We are sharing Mum’s experience because we want other people to know that persistent symptoms deserve to be taken seriously.

Ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognise because its symptoms can be vague and easy to mistake for other conditions. Some symptoms to be aware of include:

❤️ Persistent bloating or a swollen tummy.

❤️ Ongoing abdominal or pelvic pain and discomfort.

❤️ Persistent nausea, feeling sick or changes in appetite.

❤️ Difficulty passing stools or changes in bowel habits.

❤️ Needing to wee more frequently or urgently.

❤️ Unexpected vaginal bleeding after menopause.

These symptoms do not automatically mean someone has cancer, but if they are new, persistent or unusual for you, please speak to your GP. Any bleeding after menopause should always be checked by a doctor.

Mum is only 57. Despite major surgery, HIPEC chemotherapy and further rounds of chemotherapy, we have been told that her cancer has continued to grow and spread. We are now facing the heartbreaking reality that our time together may be much shorter than we ever imagined.

Ovarian carcinosarcoma is rare, and we want more people to know that it exists. We want to help people recognise possible warning signs, feel confident speaking up about their symptoms and understand the importance of seeking medical advice.

We cannot change what has happened to Mum, but if sharing her story helps even one person recognise a symptom, seek help or feel less alone, then something positive can come from what our family is going through. ❤️

This is why this fundraiser means so much to us. It is about making memories while Mum is still well enough to enjoy them, but it is also about spreading awareness and helping other families learn about a cancer that has changed our lives forever.

Every donation will help us create precious memories with Mum, and every share will help take her story further.

This has never been just about money. It is about family, awareness, hope, love and making every moment count.

❤️ How Your Donations Will Be Used

Every penny raised will go towards helping Mum make as many special memories with us as possible while she is still well enough to enjoy them.

The money will help towards travel and accommodation, whether that’s a family Christmas away in the UK, a few days somewhere warm like Spain or Gran Canaria, or — if we’re incredibly lucky — helping her experience one of the places she has always dreamed of seeing.

It will also help towards days out, meals, activities and experiences that Mum can enjoy with her family and granddaughter, Chloe.

These are all things we genuinely thought we had years ahead of us to do. Places we thought we’d visit one day, trips we thought we had plenty of time to plan, and memories we never imagined we would suddenly be racing against time to make.

We know we may not be able to do everything on Mum’s dream list, and that’s okay. This isn’t about luxury holidays — it’s about giving her as many experiences as we realistically can and making the time we have together count.

Any support that helps me spend precious time with Mum, including allowing me to take time off work to be with her, would also mean so much.

Most importantly, these donations give us the chance to make memories now, while we still have the opportunity.

No donation is too small. Every donation and every share could help us give Mum another memory that our family can hold onto forever. ❤️

❤️ Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for supporting our family and for helping us make Mum’s time count.

Whether you donate, share our page or simply help spread awareness of ovarian cancer, it means more to us than words can explain.

We know we cannot change Mum’s diagnosis, and we cannot give her more time. But we can try to fill the time we have with love, laughter, special experiences and memories that will stay with us forever.

And if, along the way, sharing Mum’s story helps someone else recognise a symptom or get the support they need, then her story will have helped make a difference beyond our own family.

For Mum, for our family, for the memories we still have time to make, and for everyone who deserves to have their symptoms heard. ❤️

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.