Supporting Vicky to make memories

**Update 30/11/23**

From Vicky’s husband Steve

Today I lost my wife, the mother of my awesome kids and my best mate Vicky Bateman. I don’t have any magic words here. Everyone that knows her will agree this is a great loss to so many people. Such a perfect person. An inspiration. A battler. A great mother and perfect wife. She will always be missed and will always be the most important part of our family. Love you loads. Long live your legacy. See you again. Big love to all at Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford and all at Katharine House Hospice, Stafford for everything. You all know who you are. Let us all continue our battle against cancer in whatever way we can! XXXXXX

Thank you all for the support Vicky has received during her courageous journey

Camille 

**Update 2.5.23**

Victoria’s amazing colleagues and friends are organising a sponsored 10mile walk. The walk will take place on the 17th June, starting at Westport Lake and finishing at the Plume of Feathers in Barlaston. The aim is to raise this already fantastic total to £10,000. With your support we can do it!!

Please read Vicky’s story

Hi my name is Camille and I’m fundraising for Victoria……

Life is about making memories and this page has been set up for Victoria a cancer nurse specialist, to be able to create a lifetime of memories for her family in a shorter time. Victoria has helped so many people through their cancer journey and we are here to support our brave friend and colleague through hers.

Victoria’s story began around 11 years ago during the pregnancy of her daughter, with a twinge in her toe. She has seen her GP and told it was due to her pregnancy. Over the years the pain became more intense and had started to radiate under her foot. She was prescribed lots of strong pain killers to elevate the symptoms. 6 years later she was referred to a neurologist, and after several investigations including MRI and nerve conduction studies was told it was ‘perceived pain’. And so Victoria continued to take her pain killers with high dose neuropathic pain medication. She knew the symptoms were not right and asked for a simple ultra sound scan only to be declined. By this point a mass could be felt in her right calf.

These symptoms began to affect her everyday life, she was unable to play football with her son in the garden, struggled to walk the dog and her friend (and colleague) on several occasions would drive her to her car following a shift at work as she could not walk any distance.

In October 2020 Victoria was put on the two week wait for sarcoma by her GP after persisting for further investigation as the pain had taken her mental health to a dark place. Following a painful biopsy, Victoria was given the devastating diagnosis of high grade Synovial Sarcoma in November 2020. Around 1 to 3 in a million people are diagnoses with this type of sarcoma each year. She was referred to a specialist centre and given the options of limb salvage chemotherapy or below knee amputation, she made the brave and life changing decision to have a below knee amputation for best chance of cure. In December 2020 the surgery took place but due to the rapid and sudden increase of tumour size the only option was an above knee amputation.

Following the surgery Victoria began the huge task of rehabilitation and learning to walk again with a prosthetic, whilst always remaining as positive as she could. She fell on many occasions but would always get back up. Her family and friends have been bowled over by her strength and determination to keep putting her best foot forward!! And she quickly returned to work in the job she loves, helping other as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Oncology.

In May 2022, Victoria had more devastating news following a routine Chest X-Ray. She had developed secondary lung cancer, known as metastases. Her prognosis had now changed to palliative giving her a life expectancy of 18-24months. So began the gruelling chemotherapy regime, the treatment is to prolong Victoria’s life rather than with a curative intent. Since starting her chemotherapy Victoria and her family’s life has changed dramatically. She has lost her hair but has remained positive and embraced her new look. Her young family have had to adapt to their mum being in hospital every 3 weeks and when she returns home requiring time to recover and deal with some very difficult side effects before the return for more treatment. Following this chemotherapy Victoria will be eligible for trials in cancer treatment with the hope of extending her life further. And we all remain so positive that her cancer will respond.

If you can, please donate to help Victoria make memories and maintain some normality with her family. Her family and friends will be forever grateful for every single penny that supports our beautiful brave friend.