Thank you for visiting my page. I’m supporting Sarcoma UK, the only cancer charity in the UK focused on all types of sarcoma. Sarcoma is a cancer of the bone and soft tissue. It is one of the hardest to diagnose, and difficult to treat. We can help change this. 

Epithelioid sarcoma is one of 100 types of sarcoma cancer. People
diagnosed with any form of sarcoma only make up 1% of all cancer diagnoses in the UK. That’s how rare it is. People tend to link cancer with older people, whilst sarcoma patients are mostly 39 and younger.

When Ola, my husband and doting father of our 2 children,
was complaining of aches and pains coming from an old scar wound in his left thigh back in the summer of 2015, the last thing I thought he was going to be diagnosed with was cancer. Never mind one of the rarest forms in the world. Initially undetected, Ola went in to hospital in November of that year to have what they thought was a buildup of scar tissue removed from his thigh. What actually happened when the surgeon opened up his wound, was that they discovered an epithelioid sarcoma tumour. Ola was 36 years old, and I was 4.5 months pregnant with our son.

Tests revealed the cancer hadn’t spread, and he was booked
in to have the tumour from his thigh removed 2 weeks later. He had a huge chunk of his thigh removed to take a large clear margin and the operation was successful. Initial recovery was difficult. Ola is a sporty, fit individual who is particularly fond of mixed martial arts. He had never been this dependent on others, and struggled with not having his usual mobility – especially with Mollie, our 3.5 year old daughter. Still, after some initial bumps, he recovered well, and built up his strength, and a year down the road, felt fitter and stronger than ever.

Then in April 2017, the thing we never thought would happen,
happened. The cancer recurred. He had 3 small new tumours around the original site and unlike the test results last time, we received the news that the cancer had spread to his left lung. At that precise moment, our life changed forever. The news hit both of us like punches to the stomach. The kind that take your breath away and lift you clear off your feet. We knew this meant there was no cure. The days that followed are now a blur of utter pain,sadness, confusion, and anger. Why Ola? Why us? Why our children? Why our family?

More than anything, I want Ola to watch his children grow up
and be a part of that amazing journey. For that reason, amongst other things, I am beginning fund raising in support of Sarcoma UK. Every penny raised goes directly to the support of sarcoma patients in the UK and funding research into how to control, or even cure, sarcoma cancers. Whilst epithelioid sarcoma is 1 of 100 sarcomas, there are some promising clinical trials underway and I want to do my
best to continue contributing to breakthroughs so that Ola can benefit from these critical advancements and so our children get to benefit from his unconditional love.

Sarcoma awareness week is 3-10 July. On 7 July, I will be
hosting a ‘big picnic’ and will be cooking up no- meat, no-dairy and no
processed sugar based treats to show how we’re making positive changes in our diet and lifestyle to help Ola’s body fight the cancer.

We’d love for you to be with us in person (which I know is
unrealistic for many of you! But please just get in touch with me via carksey4@gmail.com if you’d like to join us). Donations to Sarcoma UK will be so very much appreciated. Know that if you donate, it will impact people like Ola and the very small % of people that are affected by sarcoma in the UK.

By donating to my page, you will fund vital research projects looking for better treatments. Your donation will also raise awareness of the symptoms of sarcoma to help patients get an early diagnosis, and ensure everyone has access to specialist advice.Thank you so very much for your support.