Save Alice
Donation protected
I am setting up this page on behalf of my beautiful sister in law, Alice, who has been in a relationship with my youngest brother David since March 2012. They met in college and have been inseparable ever since. Alice with her quiet and gentle nature fast became a happy and permanent fixture in our home and our hearts from the very beginning and the arrival of their 4 legged baby Ellie, cemented their happy little trio and also completed us as a family.
As a young and happy couple going to college and enjoying a simple, uncomplicated life the world seemed to be their oyster and full of possibilities for the future. No-one could have predicted that something unseen and ominous was approaching on the horizon that would change everything.
In the summer of 2017, Alice began attending her GP with irregular PV bleeding and was referred to St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny in October for further investigations and scans including a biopsy. On November 2nd the result of Alice’s biopsy confirmed a 7cm tumour and Stage 2B Cervical Cancer. Although shaken by this diagnosis, both Alice and David approached it like they do with everything-strong and positive with their usual good humour as they prepared for battle together. All care was transferred immediately to the Mater Hospital and St Luke’s, Rathgar in Dublin.
During the first appointment in Dublin, Alice received the news that she would never conceive or carry her own child. At 25 years of age, gone was Alice’s lifelong dream of having beautiful little babies and becoming the amazing mother we all know she would have been. This news was as bad, if not worse than the diagnosis itself for Alice.
The first invasive procedure Alice endured was on the 27th November, the removal of a para aorta lymph node in the Mater Hospital, Dublin. And after much discussion with the oncology team, Alice and David were offered one round of IVF before commencing treatment to eradicate cancer-this would involve both herself and David attending the fertility clinic in the Rotunda, Dublin to create a blastocyst that would remain cryogenically frozen until a suitable surrogate could be sought to carry the baby for them.
They both grasped this opportunity with gratitude and following therapy attended the Rotunda on 15th of Dec for further surgery and egg collection, they successfully saved one blastocyst-they have a baby in waiting!
The week before Christmas 2017, the gruelling treatment commenced-25 sessions of external radiation, 3 sessions of internal brachytherapy radiation and 6 sessions of cisplatin chemotherapy. Several sessions a week meant Alice practically moved to Dublin with her devoted parents and David taking turns to care for her whilst juggling college and work in between.
Mid treatment and prior to Brachytherapy (internal radiation)- a MRI scan was performed on 19th January 2018 in St James’s Hospital, showing good results, shrinkage of the tumour. However this was only performed on the pelvic area. We all held our breath and dared to hope. Alice returned home from battle in February 2018, pale and weak but smiling as always and taking it all in her stride uncomplainingly, as is her nature, and truly an inspiration to us all.
However, the battle was not won. On 24th May 2018, the results of the post treatment PET scan and MRI scan had the worst possible news. The cancer had not responded to treatment. The PET scan showed Alice now had Stage 3B Terminal Lymph Node positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the cervix with metastases in the liver, lungs and heart.
There are no words to describe the utter devastation. We were all in shock and for a short time, defeated. Alice on the other hand soldiered on, she did not cry, she did not collapse, the only thing she did do was worry about all of us around her and that she had disappointed us somehow.
And because of this-we are all at battle now. We all take on this fight with her, and for her if needed.
All care was transferred back down to Kilkenny and Waterford from Dublin for palliative treatment. No hope of survival was given. No offer of progressive or immunotherapy drugs, no trials, nothing. This, to us, is unacceptable. Alice is 25 years old, beautiful, intelligent and above all, a kind and wonderful person, who asks for nothing and expects nothing from the world.
Alice’s family have done their research and investigated further testing which at first was denied. It has taken constant calling and pushing to get any further options for Alice. While awaiting further testing and in order to buy Alice some time, she commenced aggressive chemotherapy on the 4th of July- 6 rounds of Taxol/Carboplatin chemotherapy and Avastin (Bevacizumab).
Recently Alice has gained access to the application for the Oncofocus DNA based test in the UK to determine if her cancer is positive for the drug Pembrolizumab and she also informed of further genetic testing available in New York-this will determine the most appropriate drug/treatment for her condition. Finally some hope.
The drugs needed to fight this disease are not being made available by the HSE nor is any type of funding. Alice would never ask for this herself, we are asking on her behalf. She is far too precious to us and the very least she deserves is a fighting chance.
We need your help to give her that chance.
Life-saving immunotherapy drugs will cost thousands and quite possibly hundreds of thousands but we have to do whatever it takes. All donations will be greatly appreciated, nothing is too small. We appreciate you even reading this page and Alice’s story. All funds raised will go directly towards medical life-saving treatment. Funds not used will be donated in turn to other charities and The Irish Cancer Society.
Thanking you all in advance
Yours faithfully
The O' Dea and the Taylor Family.
As a young and happy couple going to college and enjoying a simple, uncomplicated life the world seemed to be their oyster and full of possibilities for the future. No-one could have predicted that something unseen and ominous was approaching on the horizon that would change everything.
In the summer of 2017, Alice began attending her GP with irregular PV bleeding and was referred to St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny in October for further investigations and scans including a biopsy. On November 2nd the result of Alice’s biopsy confirmed a 7cm tumour and Stage 2B Cervical Cancer. Although shaken by this diagnosis, both Alice and David approached it like they do with everything-strong and positive with their usual good humour as they prepared for battle together. All care was transferred immediately to the Mater Hospital and St Luke’s, Rathgar in Dublin.
During the first appointment in Dublin, Alice received the news that she would never conceive or carry her own child. At 25 years of age, gone was Alice’s lifelong dream of having beautiful little babies and becoming the amazing mother we all know she would have been. This news was as bad, if not worse than the diagnosis itself for Alice.
The first invasive procedure Alice endured was on the 27th November, the removal of a para aorta lymph node in the Mater Hospital, Dublin. And after much discussion with the oncology team, Alice and David were offered one round of IVF before commencing treatment to eradicate cancer-this would involve both herself and David attending the fertility clinic in the Rotunda, Dublin to create a blastocyst that would remain cryogenically frozen until a suitable surrogate could be sought to carry the baby for them.
They both grasped this opportunity with gratitude and following therapy attended the Rotunda on 15th of Dec for further surgery and egg collection, they successfully saved one blastocyst-they have a baby in waiting!
The week before Christmas 2017, the gruelling treatment commenced-25 sessions of external radiation, 3 sessions of internal brachytherapy radiation and 6 sessions of cisplatin chemotherapy. Several sessions a week meant Alice practically moved to Dublin with her devoted parents and David taking turns to care for her whilst juggling college and work in between.
Mid treatment and prior to Brachytherapy (internal radiation)- a MRI scan was performed on 19th January 2018 in St James’s Hospital, showing good results, shrinkage of the tumour. However this was only performed on the pelvic area. We all held our breath and dared to hope. Alice returned home from battle in February 2018, pale and weak but smiling as always and taking it all in her stride uncomplainingly, as is her nature, and truly an inspiration to us all.
However, the battle was not won. On 24th May 2018, the results of the post treatment PET scan and MRI scan had the worst possible news. The cancer had not responded to treatment. The PET scan showed Alice now had Stage 3B Terminal Lymph Node positive Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the cervix with metastases in the liver, lungs and heart.
There are no words to describe the utter devastation. We were all in shock and for a short time, defeated. Alice on the other hand soldiered on, she did not cry, she did not collapse, the only thing she did do was worry about all of us around her and that she had disappointed us somehow.
And because of this-we are all at battle now. We all take on this fight with her, and for her if needed.
All care was transferred back down to Kilkenny and Waterford from Dublin for palliative treatment. No hope of survival was given. No offer of progressive or immunotherapy drugs, no trials, nothing. This, to us, is unacceptable. Alice is 25 years old, beautiful, intelligent and above all, a kind and wonderful person, who asks for nothing and expects nothing from the world.
Alice’s family have done their research and investigated further testing which at first was denied. It has taken constant calling and pushing to get any further options for Alice. While awaiting further testing and in order to buy Alice some time, she commenced aggressive chemotherapy on the 4th of July- 6 rounds of Taxol/Carboplatin chemotherapy and Avastin (Bevacizumab).
Recently Alice has gained access to the application for the Oncofocus DNA based test in the UK to determine if her cancer is positive for the drug Pembrolizumab and she also informed of further genetic testing available in New York-this will determine the most appropriate drug/treatment for her condition. Finally some hope.
The drugs needed to fight this disease are not being made available by the HSE nor is any type of funding. Alice would never ask for this herself, we are asking on her behalf. She is far too precious to us and the very least she deserves is a fighting chance.
We need your help to give her that chance.
Life-saving immunotherapy drugs will cost thousands and quite possibly hundreds of thousands but we have to do whatever it takes. All donations will be greatly appreciated, nothing is too small. We appreciate you even reading this page and Alice’s story. All funds raised will go directly towards medical life-saving treatment. Funds not used will be donated in turn to other charities and The Irish Cancer Society.
Thanking you all in advance
Yours faithfully
The O' Dea and the Taylor Family.
Organiser
Wendy Taylor
Organiser
