Cancer-fight mum left ‘overwhelmed’ by your support
A MOTHER battling incurable cancer has vowed to fight on after her local community raised thousands to pay for her treatment.
Donna McClelland, 39, said she has been left “overwhelmed” by the support she has received after being told that surgeons are unable to operate on the tumours in her liver.
The mother of two was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 in 2011 – just 10 days before Christmas.
She had a mastectomy, an operation to remove her lymph nodes, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
But last year the cancer had returned in her liver, bones and chest lymph nodes.
She said: “After it came back I was offered chemotherapy again and one high dose radiation to my spine to help with the pain.
“Me being me I wanted more so I pushed to see a liver consultant.
“I had researched as much as I could of what was available out there and I saw a consultant in Ain- tree hospital in Liverpool.
“He offered me an operation called a liver resection to take half my liver out to get rid of my tumour and gall bladder.”
Donna has now had 30 cycles of chemotherapy in only one year, which helped to reduce the tumour in her liver and the cancer in her bones showed signs of healing.
But despite the reduction in the size of the tumour, a recent scan showed more tumours had grown making it too dangerous to operate and the operation, which was scheduled for next week, was cancelled.
Donna, who lives in Abererch with her partner Arwel and their sons Cian, 11, and Danial, 6, added: “It was suggested that selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) might help, but the operation is not offered to patients in my situation on the NHS without applying for funding through the health board.
“The consultant said he would try and apply for funding but for me not to get my hopes up. That’s when my friend decided to set up the just- giving page.”
More than £4,000 has now been raised towards the treatment after Donna’s friend, Sue Foskett, set up the page last month.
Donna said: “I can’t believe how generous people have been donating money for me.
“Some people I don’t know have donated, and I had over £2,000 in 24 hours.
“It was lovely for me to go to my oncologist a few days later and tell her that I had the money to pay for the procedure if I was able to have it.
Donna said her original goal when she was first diagnosed in 2011 was to see her eldest son Cian, start secondary school and see him pass his black belt in karate - both of which he did last month.
She now wants to see her youngest son Danial do the same.
Danial had his own special way of showing his mum how much she means to him when he raised over £85 for Alaw Ward at Ysbyty Gwynedd by busking outside their home with his guitar earlier this year.