Save Shauna
Donation protected
This is our little sister Shauna. And we don't want to lose her. Her life should be adventures, laughs and love but instead its hospitals, tears and sadness.
Shauna has a rare genetic condition called FAP APC gene defective (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis). This is 1 in a million condition that causes polyps to grow in the thousands. To prevent the polyps turning cancerous Shauna had to have her entire large intestine removed to form an ileostomy almost 2 years ago. This procedure in turn then led to a J Pouch.
Shauna's recovery was hard and long but she pushed through it. Around eight-month as Shauna has her ileostomy reversed, she got the news a Desmoid tumour was growing in her stomach wall. Desmoid tumours are fibrous tumours and a rare side effect of FAP which is an extremely rare form of cancer.
After discovering the tumour, the hospital decided Shauna should wait a further 3 months with no treatment to "see what happens". In those three months the tumour grew to an inoperable size, but still held hope! The next treatment plan for Shauna was chemo.
Due to the rarity of Shauna’s condition there is little known or understood around treatment, and there is no known cure. Shauna’s Medical team were as in the dark as us on the best course of treatment. They started Shauna on two aggressive forms of Chemo.
Shauna underwent this chemo for 3 months. It didn't work, her tumour actually grew, and then a second tumour appeared. We could not believe it. She had been through so much for this not to work. As a final hope Shauna was put on a third, different form of chemo.
During this round of chemo Shauna really suffered the effects of her treatment. She was sick, tired, sore. As a result of this, she was hospitalised and her hair started to turn white. Throughout this treatment we were told that this was Shauna's final shot, if this did not work there would be nothing else they could do for her.
When Shauna asked her specialist, what had happened to other people with her condition, her specialist informed her that they had all died. Our worst fears were coming to life. The specialist advised Shauna that if this treatment did not work she would have 6 months.
Today Friday 29th of November 2019 we got the worst news possible. Shauna's treatment has not worked. Her tumour has continued to grow. As a family we have never been struck to the core more than we were in those moments hearing that news.
What will happen is this tumour will grow and grow crushing and damaging Shauna's internal organs until she dies from it. The hospital has given her 6 months. We are deviated and distraught but won’t give up hope.
We need your help to get Shauna access to alternative treatments. We will not give up without trying all we can. We will search and search until we find a doctor that will either remove these tumours or offer an alternative treatment.
We need your help. We can’t do this alone. Shauna is the most wonderful, giving, loving, quirky and funny person and she deserves a chance. She is only 26 and a recent graduate. Despite everything she was going through she still graduated. She is superwoman.
Shauna is at the stage in her life where she should be carefree exploring the world, setting out in her career, defining her future. It is too cruel to take this away from her.
Please help in any way you can.
Shauna has a rare genetic condition called FAP APC gene defective (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis). This is 1 in a million condition that causes polyps to grow in the thousands. To prevent the polyps turning cancerous Shauna had to have her entire large intestine removed to form an ileostomy almost 2 years ago. This procedure in turn then led to a J Pouch.
Shauna's recovery was hard and long but she pushed through it. Around eight-month as Shauna has her ileostomy reversed, she got the news a Desmoid tumour was growing in her stomach wall. Desmoid tumours are fibrous tumours and a rare side effect of FAP which is an extremely rare form of cancer.
After discovering the tumour, the hospital decided Shauna should wait a further 3 months with no treatment to "see what happens". In those three months the tumour grew to an inoperable size, but still held hope! The next treatment plan for Shauna was chemo.
Due to the rarity of Shauna’s condition there is little known or understood around treatment, and there is no known cure. Shauna’s Medical team were as in the dark as us on the best course of treatment. They started Shauna on two aggressive forms of Chemo.
Shauna underwent this chemo for 3 months. It didn't work, her tumour actually grew, and then a second tumour appeared. We could not believe it. She had been through so much for this not to work. As a final hope Shauna was put on a third, different form of chemo.
During this round of chemo Shauna really suffered the effects of her treatment. She was sick, tired, sore. As a result of this, she was hospitalised and her hair started to turn white. Throughout this treatment we were told that this was Shauna's final shot, if this did not work there would be nothing else they could do for her.
When Shauna asked her specialist, what had happened to other people with her condition, her specialist informed her that they had all died. Our worst fears were coming to life. The specialist advised Shauna that if this treatment did not work she would have 6 months.
Today Friday 29th of November 2019 we got the worst news possible. Shauna's treatment has not worked. Her tumour has continued to grow. As a family we have never been struck to the core more than we were in those moments hearing that news.
What will happen is this tumour will grow and grow crushing and damaging Shauna's internal organs until she dies from it. The hospital has given her 6 months. We are deviated and distraught but won’t give up hope.
We need your help to get Shauna access to alternative treatments. We will not give up without trying all we can. We will search and search until we find a doctor that will either remove these tumours or offer an alternative treatment.
We need your help. We can’t do this alone. Shauna is the most wonderful, giving, loving, quirky and funny person and she deserves a chance. She is only 26 and a recent graduate. Despite everything she was going through she still graduated. She is superwoman.
Shauna is at the stage in her life where she should be carefree exploring the world, setting out in her career, defining her future. It is too cruel to take this away from her.
Please help in any way you can.
Fundraising team (4)
Ellen Connolly
Organizer
Shauna Daphne Connolly
Team member
Leah Connolly
Team member
Lorraine Connolly
Team member
