2024-07-26 07:50:18
Rachel noticed changes in her vision shortly after giving birth. Not to mention, the migraine headaches that had plagued her for many years intensified.
The optician said she just had dry eyes and sent her home with eye drops and glasses. But the woman’s condition worsened and she could no longer keep one eye open, so she was referred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
An MRI scan revealed that a cancerous tumor had spread to her spine. Rachael has been told she has just months to live and her family are hoping to raise £150,000. pounds sterling (178 thousand euros) for life extension.
“When they told me I had brain cancer, my whole world fell apart. I found out that someone with my diagnosis has a life expectancy of 12 months and I had symptoms 8 months ago,” said Rachel, who lives in Belfast.
“I just didn’t expect to receive such terrible news. I was hoping I might have at least a year or two. It affected me tremendously psychologically,” she added.
It is impossible to operate on a tumor
The woman said that before the diagnosis, the vision in one eye had deteriorated, which made it unsafe to go out on the street, and it became difficult to fully care for her daughter.
Rachel was diagnosed with an oncological disease in 2024. in May after she was referred to the emergency room.
The doctors explained that the operation was impossible because the tumor was in the brain stem. Radiation treatment is currently in use: 30 sessions for the brain and 28 sessions for the spinal cord.
“There are days when I wake up and my legs don’t work, I cry for hours because of the pain. My partner Robert has had to take over most of the care of our daughter Rhea, and it makes me feel so redundant, like a big part of motherhood has already been taken away from me.
Some days I can walk without help and I can lift Rhea. I can only hope that there will be more good days, because now the most important thing is time with my family,” said the woman.
Rachel said she looked for treatment alternatives because radiation therapy doesn’t always help.
Now she and her family are raising funds for potentially life-prolonging treatment. A drug prescribed in private clinics in Germany, according to her, can extend life by almost 2 years.
Swallowed pride
Rachael hopes to raise £150,000 (€178,000) for research, travel and treatment costs and already has half that amount.
“As hard as it is to ask for help, I swallow my pride <...> I am not ready to leave my family and my baby,” said the woman.
“One year is not enough to experience the gift of motherhood. I will never see Rhea walk down the aisle, and for what? Just unlucky? It’s not right,” Rachel shared her thoughts.
“I won’t be able to take my daughter to first grade, but the extra time with her would be a blessing, so I will fight with all my might to wake up with her every morning.” Something needs to be done to help people in a similar situation,” she said.
According to the woman, brain cancer research is not funded enough, and young people are paying for it with their lives.
“If more people understood the devastating impact of a brain tumor not only on the person diagnosed with it, but also on their family, everyone around them who love them, maybe we could find more treatments because no one deserves such a cruel fate,” Rachel assured.
Louise Aubrey, head of community development at Brain Tumor Research, agreed that brain cancer research in the UK is not getting enough attention.
“Brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, but since 2002 only 1 percent was allocated to brain tumors. national funding. This is unacceptable. Much more needs to be done to prevent young families like Rachel’s from being torn apart by this devastating disease.”
Prepared according to “Express.co.uk” information.
2024-07-26 07:50:18