My name is Angela, my daughter Natalie Owen aged 39, has been diagnosed with a very rare type of tumour called a Clival Chordoma, skull based. A Clival Chordoma is a malignant tumour of the Clivus, which is a portion of bone located at the base of the skull, the bone is surrounded by neurovascular structures of the brain stem. (We had not heard of this before & you are statistically one in a million if you have this type of cancer)
Natalie is scheduled for an 8 hour operation on 7 July 2017 at Salford Hospital in Manchester with a specialist team to remove the tumour and the affected surrounding bone.
After the operation Natalie has been informed she will then need to undertake Proton Beam Therapy (a specialist type of radiotherapy) only available in America, she will have to travel to America & stay for up to 12 weeks for this therapy. I will travel and stay with Natalie during her treatment in America. (The Proton Beam Therapy service is a nationally commissioned service funded by the NHS in England. The NHS funds all Proton Beam Therapy treatment for the patient and pays for travel costs including flights and accommodation for the patient and a family member or carer).
As you can appreciate this an extremely worrying time for Natalie & her husband Richard & daughters Charlotte and Gracie & all the family, with uncertain times ahead, we are very worried about the practicalities of the family being split for up to three months & basic living costs for Natalie and myself whilst in America & also the cost for Richard & the girls to fly out & stay for two weeks during Natalie's treatment.
We would all gratefully appreciate any donations of any amount that you can spare to help eliminate the stress and anxiety regarding the financial uncertainty of the following months ahead.

If for any reason Natalie did not need to go to America then all funds raised will be split with local charities & the Chordoma Foundation UK.

Thank you