Support for Mandy's biggest battle
Donation protected
I am Megan and I have known Mandy most of our lives!!
I have followed her recent battle closely and have decided my "love and prayers" just are not enough in her biggest battle yet. I have set up this fundraiser to ease the burden financially for Mandy and Pete, I hope many people who know Mandy will feel the same and make a small donation.
Here is her story-
In June 2020 Peter took Mandy to hospital in severe pain with a bowel obstruction. Mandy was operated on the following day to remove a cancerous tumour bigger than a golf ball. The tumour was called a Sigmoid Adenocarcinoma, and they stated it was Stage 2/3. (Sigmoid bowel cancer). Mandy came out of this surgery with a 23cm torso incision & a temporary ileostomy.
Mandy had 2 months off work in 2020 to recovery from surgery, then returned to work full time while undergoing oral chemotherapy specific to bowel cancer.
Mandy completed chemotherapy in January 2021 and underwent all of her post-treatment tests. Unfortunately the bloods returned high tumour markers, and we were sent to get a PET scan at Westmead.
This confirmed pelvic activity, and a second hot spot. A colonoscopy on the 16th March confirmed there were more tumours.
Peter took Mandy into hospital again on the 17th March with severe pain. We now know that the new tumours caused a bowel obstruction again.
Mandy was admitted on 17th March, and is currently at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She has been in hospital for 3 weeks now, and may have another 3-4 weeks to go. She hasn’t been able to eat any food since admission.
Mandy’s cancer is now classed Stage 4, but treatable. She will have an all-day surgery on April 15th. They call this a Peritonectomy, and will remove her uterus, ovaries, some of her small bowel, and some of her bladder, as well as the second tiny cancer spot. They will reverse her ileostomy, but we are expecting her to have a permanent colostomy. Her surgical incision will be larger than last time. She will also undergo HIPEC during surgery - where they soak her abdomen with chemotherapy for 45 minutes.
After surgery, Mandy will be required to undergo more aggressive chemotherapy.
Peter & Mandy are currently down to one income, but Peter will soon also be required to take some leave without pay to be home with Mandy during initial recovery. They don’t live a lavish lifestyle, but still have the regular bills coming in.
Any financial help you’re able to provide will take off any pressure off needing to return to work too soon, and will allow Mandy a chance to just focus on healing & overcoming this huge battle.
I have followed her recent battle closely and have decided my "love and prayers" just are not enough in her biggest battle yet. I have set up this fundraiser to ease the burden financially for Mandy and Pete, I hope many people who know Mandy will feel the same and make a small donation.
Here is her story-
In June 2020 Peter took Mandy to hospital in severe pain with a bowel obstruction. Mandy was operated on the following day to remove a cancerous tumour bigger than a golf ball. The tumour was called a Sigmoid Adenocarcinoma, and they stated it was Stage 2/3. (Sigmoid bowel cancer). Mandy came out of this surgery with a 23cm torso incision & a temporary ileostomy.
Mandy had 2 months off work in 2020 to recovery from surgery, then returned to work full time while undergoing oral chemotherapy specific to bowel cancer.
Mandy completed chemotherapy in January 2021 and underwent all of her post-treatment tests. Unfortunately the bloods returned high tumour markers, and we were sent to get a PET scan at Westmead.
This confirmed pelvic activity, and a second hot spot. A colonoscopy on the 16th March confirmed there were more tumours.
Peter took Mandy into hospital again on the 17th March with severe pain. We now know that the new tumours caused a bowel obstruction again.
Mandy was admitted on 17th March, and is currently at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She has been in hospital for 3 weeks now, and may have another 3-4 weeks to go. She hasn’t been able to eat any food since admission.
Mandy’s cancer is now classed Stage 4, but treatable. She will have an all-day surgery on April 15th. They call this a Peritonectomy, and will remove her uterus, ovaries, some of her small bowel, and some of her bladder, as well as the second tiny cancer spot. They will reverse her ileostomy, but we are expecting her to have a permanent colostomy. Her surgical incision will be larger than last time. She will also undergo HIPEC during surgery - where they soak her abdomen with chemotherapy for 45 minutes.
After surgery, Mandy will be required to undergo more aggressive chemotherapy.
Peter & Mandy are currently down to one income, but Peter will soon also be required to take some leave without pay to be home with Mandy during initial recovery. They don’t live a lavish lifestyle, but still have the regular bills coming in.
Any financial help you’re able to provide will take off any pressure off needing to return to work too soon, and will allow Mandy a chance to just focus on healing & overcoming this huge battle.
Organizer and beneficiary
Megan Russell
Organizer
Bathurst NSW
Peter Griffiths
Beneficiary
