Raising funds for our gorgeous friend Nicola

Hello! My name is Jo but I know I speak for everyone that knows Nicola (aka Nicky - she has other names but we don't need to share them on here!) in saying that we are ALL SO INCREDIBLY PROUD of our gorgeous friend.

Nicky started with intense pain in November 2023 whereupon she went to the doctors and they organised a scan for 6-7 weeks time. They admitted her to hospital & put her on steroids but released her as they were unsure of her diagnosis.

For the next 4 months Nicky was in and out of hospital, sometimes spending 2 weeks in at at time. In March 2024 she was given a diagnosis of Crohns Disease and was put on a liquid diet for 3 months. Towards the end of this period she was so unwell, she couldn't hold anything down and was rushed into hospital with suspected sepsis. Once they thought they had this under control they operated to remove 30cms of her intestine. They were not quite sure why she had not responded to medication for Crohns.

2 weeks later, at the end of June 2024 Nikki was diagnosed with stage 3 small bowel cancer. (They had done 8 CT scans during this period and missed the cancer.)

Nicky's care was then moved to The Christies Hospital in Manchester where she was told that she would be undergoing 6 months of rigorous chemotherapy.

We are amazed by Nicky's strength and bravery through everything that life has been throwing at her lately. From the chemo Nicky has had to deal with rashes, ulcers, she has been in pain, tingling fingers & toes, cold sensitivity, loss of her grip, extreme fatigue, nausea and recently she has had to face losing some of her glorious shiny trademark dark locks YET she has remained positive, making her friends laugh and generally being a complete legend. Nikki is the most warm loving friend a person can wish for & she continues to be an amazing mum & hold everything together for her two little boys, whom she adores, Sebastian 9yrs and Harry 8yrs. Normal Mum life is tough at the best of times but she has carried on cooking, cleaning & battled to keep a sense of normality at home for them. Unless she has been bed ridden in hospital Nikki has got up to go to work, holding down a job & also doing friend's hair despite having to deal with these enormous personal problems of her own.

Just recently Nikki's cancer was given a name - Neuroendocrine cancer, a rare & aggressive form of lower bowel cancer. She is now awaiting a new scan to figure out what the next course of treatment will be to fix her.

So, this is why we want to give something back to her, to make her smile, to ease the financial strain that cancer puts on a family so that she can treat herself and her boys to a day out or fun break without worrying.

All of these funds raised will go to Nicola and the boys for this purpose where they can spend quality time together and make some amazing memories.