Help Emma have more time
Donation protected
We are raising money for my beautiful sister Emma who is 42 years old and has terminal cancer. The money we raise will enable Emma to access possible future cancer treatment/ tests that are not available on the NHS and support her, her husband, stepson & daughter to make beautiful memories in the very limited (unknown) length of time they have left together.
Time is so limited for Emma - her family and friends want her to be able to have the choices of treatments that are not available here in the UK on the NHS, so she gets more time to make memories with her family and especially for her little girl Emily. Emma has been told that she can no longer work (not her choice) so paying for expensive treatments are not an option right now. Emma could be told any day that the current treatment isn’t working, and options are limited.
There is so much I could say about my amazing, beautiful sister as she has been battling this cruel disease for over 10 years now. She has lost her hair 4 times, she is in constant pain and still manages to carry on each day with a smile and doing things for others. As a family we are so proud of her and we love her so much. She is an inspiration to us all and I find it very hard to put her story into a few paragraphs, but I hope you will carry on reading.
Emma’s story
My sister Emma was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 31 years old with grade 3 breast cancer. At this time plans of getting married in 2008 and starting a family straightway then had to be put on hold. Emma started invasive surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and was given the news that this treatment would probably make her infertile. Emma still started hormone therapy with the hope that they were wrong.
Her and Dave then got married in 2009 not knowing what the future would hold for them.
In 2012 whilst away on holiday with family in Portugal she felt a lump under her arm. She tried to stay positive but, in her mind, knew that the cancer had returned. Once home, tests and scans later the consultant confirmed that the cancer had returned in her lymph nodes of the arm. At this time before starting chemotherapy (again) she was given the opportunity to try to store some embryos. Unfortunately, this would not be a possibility as the previous chemotherapy had possibly made her infertile and she was menopausal. So again, Emma started the next rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy which ended in 2013.
Then one day in March 2015 Emma woke up with sore breasts and decided to take a pregnancy test - this was positive. This was a miracle Emma had not had many periods since the chemotherapy in 2013 and was showing signs of going through the menopause. With an early scan doctors confirmed the miracle despite what she had been told she was pregnant.
Unfortunately, the initial excitement didn’t last very long as within a few weeks of finding out she was pregnant she started to suffer from severe back ache and chronic fatigue but put it down to being 39 and pregnant. By June 2015 she was admitted to A&E with acute pain so much that she couldn’t move or walk, this is when she received the devastating news the cancer had returned, and she had extensive metastases to her liver and spine, she was 14 weeks pregnant. During the next 6 weeks that Emma spent in hospital due to the pain and lack of mobility she was advised by the consultants to consider terminating the pregnancy. This was not a decision Emma and Dave could make. At 18 weeks they had a scan showing baby was healthy and a little girl there was no further decision to be made they wanted to meet their little girl.
The rest of the pregnancy wasn’t easy with Emma going through chemotherapy, tests, scans etc. but it was all worth it as their little girl Emily was born by c section on the 29th October 2015 weighing 5lb 11oz. As Emily was premature she was looked after in the prem unit and initially they thought she would need to be there at least a month but like her mum a true fighter she was out of hospital within the week.
During her pregnancy Emma was told that she had months to live but she fought to make sure she was going to meet her daughter.
No one could and still cant tell Emma how long she has left with us and her gorgeous girl. Being told that is was likely to be 6 months but if she was extremely lucky (if you can say luck!)it could be 2 - 3 years that was back in June 2015!!! Nearly 3 years on the situation is the same for her the cancer is treatable not curable. The consultant no longer tells her where else it is in her body as it has spread to her pelvic area and ribs but the place they concentrate on is the liver as this is where the cancer is, that will be the one that kills her. Emma and Dave live their life from consultant appointment to scans and are unable to make any firm plans as no one can tell them how long Emma has with us.
Emily is now 2.5 years old she is beautiful, strong and such a character, she keeps her mum going. We are sure as a family if it wasn’t for Emily my gorgeous sister Emma would have given up the fight years ago, but Emily has given her the reason to continue fighting every day.
Emma is still always wanting to help/support others so if you would like any advice or have questions please ask us.
We will keep this page updated with progress and pictures and we are truly grateful for any money you can spare.
Thank you so much.
Cathie , All of Emma’s family & friends xx
Time is so limited for Emma - her family and friends want her to be able to have the choices of treatments that are not available here in the UK on the NHS, so she gets more time to make memories with her family and especially for her little girl Emily. Emma has been told that she can no longer work (not her choice) so paying for expensive treatments are not an option right now. Emma could be told any day that the current treatment isn’t working, and options are limited.
There is so much I could say about my amazing, beautiful sister as she has been battling this cruel disease for over 10 years now. She has lost her hair 4 times, she is in constant pain and still manages to carry on each day with a smile and doing things for others. As a family we are so proud of her and we love her so much. She is an inspiration to us all and I find it very hard to put her story into a few paragraphs, but I hope you will carry on reading.
Emma’s story
My sister Emma was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 31 years old with grade 3 breast cancer. At this time plans of getting married in 2008 and starting a family straightway then had to be put on hold. Emma started invasive surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and was given the news that this treatment would probably make her infertile. Emma still started hormone therapy with the hope that they were wrong.
Her and Dave then got married in 2009 not knowing what the future would hold for them.
In 2012 whilst away on holiday with family in Portugal she felt a lump under her arm. She tried to stay positive but, in her mind, knew that the cancer had returned. Once home, tests and scans later the consultant confirmed that the cancer had returned in her lymph nodes of the arm. At this time before starting chemotherapy (again) she was given the opportunity to try to store some embryos. Unfortunately, this would not be a possibility as the previous chemotherapy had possibly made her infertile and she was menopausal. So again, Emma started the next rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy which ended in 2013.
Then one day in March 2015 Emma woke up with sore breasts and decided to take a pregnancy test - this was positive. This was a miracle Emma had not had many periods since the chemotherapy in 2013 and was showing signs of going through the menopause. With an early scan doctors confirmed the miracle despite what she had been told she was pregnant.
Unfortunately, the initial excitement didn’t last very long as within a few weeks of finding out she was pregnant she started to suffer from severe back ache and chronic fatigue but put it down to being 39 and pregnant. By June 2015 she was admitted to A&E with acute pain so much that she couldn’t move or walk, this is when she received the devastating news the cancer had returned, and she had extensive metastases to her liver and spine, she was 14 weeks pregnant. During the next 6 weeks that Emma spent in hospital due to the pain and lack of mobility she was advised by the consultants to consider terminating the pregnancy. This was not a decision Emma and Dave could make. At 18 weeks they had a scan showing baby was healthy and a little girl there was no further decision to be made they wanted to meet their little girl.
The rest of the pregnancy wasn’t easy with Emma going through chemotherapy, tests, scans etc. but it was all worth it as their little girl Emily was born by c section on the 29th October 2015 weighing 5lb 11oz. As Emily was premature she was looked after in the prem unit and initially they thought she would need to be there at least a month but like her mum a true fighter she was out of hospital within the week.
During her pregnancy Emma was told that she had months to live but she fought to make sure she was going to meet her daughter.
No one could and still cant tell Emma how long she has left with us and her gorgeous girl. Being told that is was likely to be 6 months but if she was extremely lucky (if you can say luck!)it could be 2 - 3 years that was back in June 2015!!! Nearly 3 years on the situation is the same for her the cancer is treatable not curable. The consultant no longer tells her where else it is in her body as it has spread to her pelvic area and ribs but the place they concentrate on is the liver as this is where the cancer is, that will be the one that kills her. Emma and Dave live their life from consultant appointment to scans and are unable to make any firm plans as no one can tell them how long Emma has with us.
Emily is now 2.5 years old she is beautiful, strong and such a character, she keeps her mum going. We are sure as a family if it wasn’t for Emily my gorgeous sister Emma would have given up the fight years ago, but Emily has given her the reason to continue fighting every day.
Emma is still always wanting to help/support others so if you would like any advice or have questions please ask us.
We will keep this page updated with progress and pictures and we are truly grateful for any money you can spare.
Thank you so much.
Cathie , All of Emma’s family & friends xx
Organizer
Cathie Ella
Organizer
