Helping Cat Kick Cancers Ass
Donation protected
Hi all,
Darren Mackay here, if know me you then you will know that I rarely ask anyone for help but I have no choice, I have nowhere else to turn so please my dear friends, can you help us.
Most of you know my wife Cat, she has either cooked for you, cared for you, counselled you, cried with you, laughed with you, been there for you when you needed someone, well:
CAT NEEDS YOU NOW
I NEED YOU NOW.
We received some devastating news on Thursday 17th of September 2020 at 12;30pm, Cat has metastatic Colon Cancer with clusters in her lungs, and in her liver too. It wasnt given in a caring, sympathetic way but rather a very cold and unfeeling way. I was not allowed to go in with her, she was alone, as she sat down it was apparent that the doctor had not yet read her file, he opened the first page and stated a few things she already knew, Cat asked him about her biopsy results? he looked confused, he turned the page looked down, he started to read out loud what was on the page, he looked up and said, you have cancer, he then proceeded to read the pages in front of him, he raised his head and said ‘you have bowel cancer, it’s metastasised, spots were detected in the lungs and liver’. Cat was in total Shock, he then got up and quickly left the room, A nurse then came to get me. The doctor returned looking uncomfortable and repeated the diagnosis to me and then again he abruptly left. Our world fell through the floor that day.
On Friday 2nd October 2020 at 12:30 we were given a dire prognosis, Once again, Cat was alone, I know how scared she was and it broke my heart not to be with her but it was made clear that I was not allowed in, she was shown into a tiny room by an Oncologist who proceeded to tell her that she had only just got her file!!
Cat put me on video so we could at least talk to her together, after some discussion we were told there was little they can do. She said Cat had 18months to 3 years.
I asked about options for treatment, what research or trials were available and we were told that they could offer no other options as what they offered was adequate!! We were numb. We were not being given any hope other than chemo as a palliative care.
Immediately I set about researching, we spoke to nurses, doctors and other professionals and found that there were definately treatments available that could significantly help but accessing was an issue. There are a numerous selection of treatments available eg; Imunotherapy, Proton Beam Therapy, but also many others from targeted, different chemo drugs etc.... Sadly most are private and expensive and not available on the NHS and those that are available are not necessarily available to us.
We found a great Consultant Oncologist who specialises in her kind of Cancer and is also involved in many trials and research, devloping and using new treatments were available but sadly only within the elite private sector. It is costly, and we do not have the finances to help us through this, for Treatments, Travel and anything else she might need to help her to be comfortable as she fights this battle.
I am setting the bar high with a hope we can get as much as we can so our immediate aim is 150 K+ ( or we may need less) but if there is any money left then it will 100% go to supporting those who suffer Cancer through negligence and Cancer Research uk.
I need you ALL
To help.
To give,
To help find a way for us to keep her here, not just for me but for her family, her children and all those she has helped, all those she loves.
We also now live in quite a rural area of Wales and travel to and from the hospital is hard. Cat has treatment every two weeks with two visits within the one week. In addition various other visits for scans, MRI’s and whatever else may be needed.
Please help if you can.
Without question, any money we receive will be fully used to help her in every possible way that we can and should there be any money left it will be given to help others who face similar difficulties due to negligence.
Many of you may know that Cat has had tummy issues for years and was managed by a team of health professionals, Cat just got on with life and lived it to the full and never let her condition hinder anything she did but, there were significant errors in the last few years and her prognosis would have been better had this been picked up when we still lived in Essex, she was under a consultant for a number of years. When she was admitted to hospital back in February 2020, it was then that they identified that something was wrong, a ‘thickening’ was identified on a scan, this is a sign bowel cancer may be present and she was red flagged for a biobsy to be arranged within days but sadly it never happened, the appointment never came, then a month later, Covid hit. This was an excuse used by the professional that had identified the concern on the scan.
All of you that know and love Cat, know how much she has given to others, she has spent her entire life giving to others, helping those in particular who had lost there way, but many of you also ‘don’t’ know that she has also suffered many difficulties in her own life,from sexual abuse, domestic violence, discrimination and much more yet the things she experienced never kept her down, she never wallowed in self pity, she raised herself up like the warrior she is and faught those things head on. She has fought for others, kept them strong even when behind closed doors she was fighting her own battles. So many of you supported her in raising funds fo help others. So many of you benefited from her strength. Sadly, what she doesnt see is how much she is loved.
Cat also had a stent fitted into her bowel, this was supposed to keep the bowel open due to a narrowing. Unfortunately Cat was admitted into Hereford hospital, on Tuesday 6th October 2020 only days after it had been fitted, she underwent major surgery to remove the stent as it had blocked her bowel and caused her great pain, she now has had a stoma fitted and we began the long road of treatments.
We have raised some money which has enabled Cat to have Avistan, a treatment only available for a certain few on the NHS, but NOT for metastatic Colon cancer even though proven to be effective. Cat has responded well to the Avistan, her treatments are every two weeks and gruelling but she keeps positive. Her revues have shown that the Tumour in her left lung has shrunk and signs of shrinkage in her bowel and bladder too, her cancer markers have dropped, this means we are gaining more time.
Recently Cat had a genetic profile test, (5K) fortunately we did not have to pay. The test was successful and it did identify some of the genetic code of the cancer in her lung, potentially she could now access a genetic targeted treatment. Sadly, however, we were informed that specific targeted treatment for her was not available here in the UK or within Europe, we were devastated However we did don’t give up and research quickly found that it may be available in the US and also maybe some of the Nordic countries? We are now in contact with the US and have had a response from one of the worlds leading cancer hospitals In Huston, if and we recognise that it is only possible if we can successfully raise the funds. This is a glimmer of hope and we have to take it, the results could be significant, the worst outcome could be stability but the best could be complete eradication of the cancer in her lungs, this ‘potentially could save her life!! It’s a tiny ray of hope and we need you to help give her that Hope. She will have to attend the hospital in Huston for a 10 day assessment at a cost of 20,000 US dollars (around £18000 Uk pounds) this is before any treatment, this does not include flights or accommodation.
I need your help more than ever,now, for her, for my Cat, she deserves to have others help her in her fight and I need her to stay beside me.
Darren Mackay here, if know me you then you will know that I rarely ask anyone for help but I have no choice, I have nowhere else to turn so please my dear friends, can you help us.
Most of you know my wife Cat, she has either cooked for you, cared for you, counselled you, cried with you, laughed with you, been there for you when you needed someone, well:
CAT NEEDS YOU NOW
I NEED YOU NOW.
We received some devastating news on Thursday 17th of September 2020 at 12;30pm, Cat has metastatic Colon Cancer with clusters in her lungs, and in her liver too. It wasnt given in a caring, sympathetic way but rather a very cold and unfeeling way. I was not allowed to go in with her, she was alone, as she sat down it was apparent that the doctor had not yet read her file, he opened the first page and stated a few things she already knew, Cat asked him about her biopsy results? he looked confused, he turned the page looked down, he started to read out loud what was on the page, he looked up and said, you have cancer, he then proceeded to read the pages in front of him, he raised his head and said ‘you have bowel cancer, it’s metastasised, spots were detected in the lungs and liver’. Cat was in total Shock, he then got up and quickly left the room, A nurse then came to get me. The doctor returned looking uncomfortable and repeated the diagnosis to me and then again he abruptly left. Our world fell through the floor that day.
On Friday 2nd October 2020 at 12:30 we were given a dire prognosis, Once again, Cat was alone, I know how scared she was and it broke my heart not to be with her but it was made clear that I was not allowed in, she was shown into a tiny room by an Oncologist who proceeded to tell her that she had only just got her file!!
Cat put me on video so we could at least talk to her together, after some discussion we were told there was little they can do. She said Cat had 18months to 3 years.
I asked about options for treatment, what research or trials were available and we were told that they could offer no other options as what they offered was adequate!! We were numb. We were not being given any hope other than chemo as a palliative care.
Immediately I set about researching, we spoke to nurses, doctors and other professionals and found that there were definately treatments available that could significantly help but accessing was an issue. There are a numerous selection of treatments available eg; Imunotherapy, Proton Beam Therapy, but also many others from targeted, different chemo drugs etc.... Sadly most are private and expensive and not available on the NHS and those that are available are not necessarily available to us.
We found a great Consultant Oncologist who specialises in her kind of Cancer and is also involved in many trials and research, devloping and using new treatments were available but sadly only within the elite private sector. It is costly, and we do not have the finances to help us through this, for Treatments, Travel and anything else she might need to help her to be comfortable as she fights this battle.
I am setting the bar high with a hope we can get as much as we can so our immediate aim is 150 K+ ( or we may need less) but if there is any money left then it will 100% go to supporting those who suffer Cancer through negligence and Cancer Research uk.
I need you ALL
To help.
To give,
To help find a way for us to keep her here, not just for me but for her family, her children and all those she has helped, all those she loves.
We also now live in quite a rural area of Wales and travel to and from the hospital is hard. Cat has treatment every two weeks with two visits within the one week. In addition various other visits for scans, MRI’s and whatever else may be needed.
Please help if you can.
Without question, any money we receive will be fully used to help her in every possible way that we can and should there be any money left it will be given to help others who face similar difficulties due to negligence.
Many of you may know that Cat has had tummy issues for years and was managed by a team of health professionals, Cat just got on with life and lived it to the full and never let her condition hinder anything she did but, there were significant errors in the last few years and her prognosis would have been better had this been picked up when we still lived in Essex, she was under a consultant for a number of years. When she was admitted to hospital back in February 2020, it was then that they identified that something was wrong, a ‘thickening’ was identified on a scan, this is a sign bowel cancer may be present and she was red flagged for a biobsy to be arranged within days but sadly it never happened, the appointment never came, then a month later, Covid hit. This was an excuse used by the professional that had identified the concern on the scan.
All of you that know and love Cat, know how much she has given to others, she has spent her entire life giving to others, helping those in particular who had lost there way, but many of you also ‘don’t’ know that she has also suffered many difficulties in her own life,from sexual abuse, domestic violence, discrimination and much more yet the things she experienced never kept her down, she never wallowed in self pity, she raised herself up like the warrior she is and faught those things head on. She has fought for others, kept them strong even when behind closed doors she was fighting her own battles. So many of you supported her in raising funds fo help others. So many of you benefited from her strength. Sadly, what she doesnt see is how much she is loved.
Cat also had a stent fitted into her bowel, this was supposed to keep the bowel open due to a narrowing. Unfortunately Cat was admitted into Hereford hospital, on Tuesday 6th October 2020 only days after it had been fitted, she underwent major surgery to remove the stent as it had blocked her bowel and caused her great pain, she now has had a stoma fitted and we began the long road of treatments.
We have raised some money which has enabled Cat to have Avistan, a treatment only available for a certain few on the NHS, but NOT for metastatic Colon cancer even though proven to be effective. Cat has responded well to the Avistan, her treatments are every two weeks and gruelling but she keeps positive. Her revues have shown that the Tumour in her left lung has shrunk and signs of shrinkage in her bowel and bladder too, her cancer markers have dropped, this means we are gaining more time.
Recently Cat had a genetic profile test, (5K) fortunately we did not have to pay. The test was successful and it did identify some of the genetic code of the cancer in her lung, potentially she could now access a genetic targeted treatment. Sadly, however, we were informed that specific targeted treatment for her was not available here in the UK or within Europe, we were devastated However we did don’t give up and research quickly found that it may be available in the US and also maybe some of the Nordic countries? We are now in contact with the US and have had a response from one of the worlds leading cancer hospitals In Huston, if and we recognise that it is only possible if we can successfully raise the funds. This is a glimmer of hope and we have to take it, the results could be significant, the worst outcome could be stability but the best could be complete eradication of the cancer in her lungs, this ‘potentially could save her life!! It’s a tiny ray of hope and we need you to help give her that Hope. She will have to attend the hospital in Huston for a 10 day assessment at a cost of 20,000 US dollars (around £18000 Uk pounds) this is before any treatment, this does not include flights or accommodation.
I need your help more than ever,now, for her, for my Cat, she deserves to have others help her in her fight and I need her to stay beside me.
Organizer
Darren Mackay
Organizer
Wales