Urgent appeal, donate to Tanya’s life-saving treatment

Tanya is my loving wife. At only 44 years old, she is a wonderful mother of two, a sister, a daughter and a friend. She has never experienced any health issues, never smoked, and hardly ever drunk alcohol.

It all started unexpectedly in December 2021…

Tanya started with a cough and a high temperature. After several COVID tests, the GP said it was a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics; after completing the course, Tanya's condition became much worse, and she went to A&E. Numerous blood tests, biopsies, and scans confirmed Peripheral Non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma None Otherwise Specified (PTCL-NOS), a rare type of blood/lymphatic system cancer. Treatment at the time required an emergency splenectomy and admission to intensive care.

Her journey has been intense, to say the least…fighting this at every stage.

During 2022, Tanya completed 13 rounds of the most potent chemotherapy: 2 rounds of CHOP (Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Oncovin, Prednisolone), ICE (Ifosfamide, Carboplatin, Etoposide), 5 rounds of Fludarabine Cyclophosphamide, 3 rounds of GDP – (Gemcitabine, Dexamethasone, Cisplatin) in Peterborough hospital. During a year of treatment, she experienced adverse side effects and complete hair loss- including her eyebrows and eyelashes. She had COVID-19 and sepsis 5 times and had platelets and blood transfusions every 3-to 4 days, but through all this, Tanya remained positive and determined. In January 2023, she had a donor bone marrow transplant in Addenbrookes Hospital. Happily, she was fine for a year and a half.

Then the worst happened…

Unfortunately, because she was not appropriately assessed and not given Methotrexate prophylaxis before the transplant, in August 2024, the cancer returned, and cancer cells invaded her spinal fluid and brain. This time, NHS doctors put Tanya on palliative care and told her there were no curative options available and that life expectancy without treatment is 3-6 months. To date, Tanya has had 11 rounds of Methotrexate into her spine and 2 rounds of PEPC palliative chemotherapy and responded surprisingly well. She did not stop her fight against cancer, and we went privately to The London Clinic for a second opinion from Professor Gribben. He said that there is a curative drug called NELARABINE. The cost of one course is £29,986. Tanya needs at least two courses. The NHS rejected using NELARABINE in Tanya's case because of NICE regulations.

Together, as a family, we are fighting this…

Although this is a scary time journey, we are very optimistic that Tanya will achieve complete remission and beat this cancer ultimately. Tanya is adamant that she will see our children grow up and complete their education: Andrew (17) and Mary (15).

As her husband David, I have been fighting side by side every step of the way. However, the financial burden of medical bills, travel expenses, and treatment costs has become overwhelming.

But Tanya and I are looking for your help…

Can you give all you can to help contribute to the cost of one dose of NELARABINE? We would be so grateful for every penny raised, as this will be life-saving for Tanya, and allow us to truly fight this terrible disease. Please share this link with your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbours so more people can contribute.