My mum, Carol, is the strongest person I know.

In 2022 she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Since then, the cancer has spread to several areas including her liver, lungs and lymph nodes. Over the years she has endured surgery, chemotherapy and endless hospital appointments, always pushing forward and always choosing hope.

In May 2025, our world changed when Mum was given a terminal palliative diagnosis and told she may have around 10 to 12 months to live.

But Mum is not ready to stop fighting, and we are not ready to give up on her.

Mum has two grandchildren she absolutely adores. Connor, and my little girl Olivia who is just three. She wants nothing more than to be here watching them grow, making memories and simply being their grandma. That love is what keeps her going.

The original plan in the UK was to reduce tumours with chemotherapy and then use highly targeted radiotherapy known as SABR. When Mum narrowly missed the NHS funding criteria by a matter of weeks, we were faced with an impossible decision. We privately funded the treatment ourselves at a cost of over £22,000, because accepting that there were no further options was not something we could live with.

Since then, Mum has been travelling to Germany to access treatment that is not available to her here. At Frankfurt University Hospital she receives TACE, a procedure that delivers chemotherapy directly into the blood supply feeding the tumour rather than through the whole body. Each treatment trip costs at least £6,000, and Mum has faced this repeatedly with courage despite the physical toll.

We are now trying to access the next step in her treatment, dendritic cell therapy.

This is a personalised immune based cancer treatment, sometimes described as a personalised cancer vaccine. A sample of Mum’s blood is taken, specialist immune cells are prepared and trained to recognise her cancer, and then given back to her to help her own immune system fight the disease.

What matters most to us is quality of life.

Mum has already endured years of harsh treatments and side effects. Dendritic cell therapy is considered far gentler than standard chemotherapy, and we are hoping it can give Mum more time with better days. Time where she can live, not just survive.

The cost of this treatment is heartbreaking. It is expected to be between £40,000 and £50,000.

On top of this, because Mum is pursuing private treatment options, she no longer has routine NHS oncology support. This means we must also privately fund essential medical care in the UK, including blood tests, monitoring and GP support, simply to keep her safe while undergoing treatment.

We never imagined we would be asking for help like this.

But we are asking, with open hearts, for support to give Mum the best possible chance of more time, more memories and more moments with the people she loves.

If you are able to donate, share this page or leave a message for Mum to read, it truly means the world to us.

Thank you for helping us fight for my beautiful Mum, Carol.

Cat and family xxxx