We were really hoping it wouldn’t have to come to this, but we’re here.

Firstly, a little about me: My name is Sarah, I am 48 years old, a widow, and a mother. My youngest, George, is 8 years old, autistic, and firmly in my care.

Secondly, the situation: I have terminal cancer, which is the latest episode of a very difficult road over the last 5 years.

This road started in August 2020, when my husband passed away after illness complications, leaving me as a single mother to our 3-year-old son. The long and arduous battle with grief was compounded a little over two years later, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2022, with a mastectomy taking place in December. However, the cancer had not been caught soon enough, with more surgery required to remove cancerous lymph nodes, along with intravenous chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Dealing with the side effects (pain, sickness), while still trying to raise my now 5-year-old son was an exceptionally difficult time. A brief period of stability gave way to a further cancer diagnosis in March 2024; stage 4 metastatic, in my bones (pelvis and spine), and tumours in my liver. More chemotherapy has managed to stabilise the bone cancer for now, but my liver tumours have continued to grow, and since the current cancer diagnosis is a result of secondary breast cancer, the NHS are refusing the prospect of surgery to remove the tumours. I have lost count of the times I’ve heard “We won’t do the surgery, as you’d still have cancer afterwards”. We know. But the liver tumours are currently the only aspect negatively effecting my quality of life (severe sickness and abdominal pain), and reducing my life expectancy.

Therefore, we’ve been forced to look into private surgery at Royal Marsden Hospital in London, a cancer specialist hospital, but this is unfortunately going to be expensive. Talking to other people in similar situations, and professionals, we’ve been given a figure of £35,000 - just for the operation. As you can imagine, the weight of that figure is immense, but I can’t put a price on the life of my son and the idea of him losing both of his parents before he even becomes a teenager.

So we’re asking for your help. Thank you for your time in reading my journey so far, and please consider helping - from the bottom of my heart, any help is so gratefully appreciated!