Support Cheryl Bryant through rare Small Cell Ovarian Cancer

This is an appeal for Cheryl, my beloved sister in-law and her family to provide comfort and support through the most difficult circumstance that a family can ever find themselves in.

In July this year Cheryl was diagnosed with Small Cell Ovarian Cancer - Hypercalcemic Type (SCCOHT). This is a very rare and aggressive cancer that represents less than 0.01% of all ovarian malignancies, with fewer than 500 cases reported to date, and with a 10-20% survival rate.

https://www.sccoht-smarca4.ca/aboutsccoht.html

Cheryl is 36, she has two beautiful daughters - Chloe 13 and Jessica 9 and is married to my brother John. She is devoted to her two girls, whom she encourages to take up more hobbies than I knew existed! She’s never managed to learn to drive but does not fail to get them to swimming lessons, music lessons, martial arts, dance classes, etc. and spends the rest of her time with them playing games and crafting. She has recently passed her Nursing Associate qualification working on an Oncology ward, and planned to continue her training to become a registered nurse.

The feeling of something not being right for Cheryl started in January 2024. In mid-May this year, the symptoms became much worse when Cheryl became constantly bloated with a feeling of heaviness and a lot of abdominal pain. It took several visits to GPs, A&E and a walk-in centre to get admitted to hospital. When Cheryl was finally admitted she was very unwell and weak, and had developed sepsis. It was then they found out she had a mass the size of a grapefruit on one of her ovaries. The surgery to remove this proved difficult, as the ovary and fallopian tube had become necrotic and disintegrated.

A biopsy was taken, and the results devastated this wonderful family as on 1st July 2024, Cheryl was diagnosed with cancer, and then on 4th July 2024 they found out it was SCCOHT. The doctors couldn’t tell them much about this rare cancer. Even the MacMillan nurse who informed her of the diagnosis warned her not to Google it! But she did, and thankfully after a lot of research she found Dr Pressey in the US - a specialist who has had some success at treating SCCOHT - who agreed to talk to her team in the UK.

The first stage of treatment was to remove Cheryl’s other ovary, her womb, omentum and half of her peritoneum. During this surgery other cancerous masses were found on her other ovary and on her peritoneum, which lead to further terrible news that the cancer had already reached Stage 3B. Cheryl is currently undergoing Chemotherapy which consists of 5 different drugs that can’t be mixed, administered over 3 days every 3 weeks for 6 rounds. The first lot of chemo which started 1st August has left her very weak, her heart rate dropped to low 40s on the first night, and has left her with hemorrhagic cystitis, has inflamed all of her organs and left her with severe neutropenia. She is still hopeful of getting home before the next round starts on 22nd August.

John, Cheryl’s husband and my brother, is trying to balance remaining by her side as much as possible - as he has throughout their terrible ordeal - with looking after my two wonderful nieces and their two crazy Huskies Bonzo and Trixie and still go to work to support them all. He is quite lucky to have our Mom and Dad for child care and support while he spends time in the hospital with Cheryl.

Cheryl is a very private person, but with the devastation this disease has brought to her family she feels it is important to share her story and raise awareness of this rare form of cancer for anyone else unlucky enough to develop it, and also to encourage everyone to keep pushing and asking questions if they believe there is something wrong. There is a great website for the Small Cell Ovarian Cancer Foundation, set up after a young woman in the US lost her battle with SCCOHT, which says it best: Be persistent - YOU KNOW YOUR OWN BODY BETTER THAN ANYONE!

Finally, the reason for this GoFundMe page: to help Cheryl’s family with her care and make the time ahead as comfortable as possible. Cheryl is now faced at age 36 with organising her own funeral, funding her own wheelchair to help get out and about now she is so weak, and trying to ensure that her girls and husband are ok. The aim is to ensure that this young family are able to enjoy as much time with Cheryl as possible, making wonderful memories for Jessica and Chloe and to ensure that financial worries are the last thing on their minds while doing so. All funds raised will go directly to Cheryl’s family to pay for her care and expenses at this difficult time.

Cheryl would never ask for this, because she is so independant and lovely and generous…but she deserves all the help she can get because she is amazing!