We are fundraising for our lovely friend, daughter, wife and mum, Amanda, who was diagnosed with stage 3 aggressive breast cancer at the beginning of 2018.

Amanda found a tiny lump after doing a self-examination at home at the beginning of the year and was sent on for screening in Worthing a few days later. During the screening, Amanda was told to prepare herself for bad news. The doctors told Amanda that the lump had all of the characteristics of being malignant and not only that but they had also found several more small lumps during the examination. Amanda was asked to return the following day for additional (excrutiating) biopsy procedures before being sent home to go through the agonizing wait to hear the diagnosis. Amanda got the call we all dread a few days later. She had stage three aggressive breast cancer and would need to undergo a mastectomy as a matter of urgency.

Amanda had her surgery in February and while the surgery was a success, there were complications following the procedure and she was readmitted to hospital the day after she was discharged with severe pain and nausea. She remained in hospital for another week during which time the medical teams were doing everything they could to make her comfortable.

After being discharged for a second time, Amanda received more bad news. The tissue samples taken during her surgery in February had advanced. Amanda had to go back to hospital for a follow-up procedure and then face another agonizing wait while she waited to hear the results of further pathology tests that were being carried out in America and which would determine the course of her treatment. In April, Amanda received the results of her tests which indicated that she had a high-risk (43% chance) of the cancer returning anywhere in her body.

While the doctors were confident that her surgeries had been a success, they prescribed a follow-up treatment of intense chemotherapy due to the high risk of the cancer returning. Amanda started her first treatment at the end of April and will have treatment every three weeks for a total of six treatments.

Amanda is a nurse and up until her diagnosis and surgery in February, she was working night shifts in Worthing. She has been signed off work ever since and will continue to be throughout the duration of her chemotherapy.

Amanda will receive her statutory sick pay while she is signed off work, however, she will not be compensated for her night-shift enhancements, which amounts to a loss of income of £800 each month. At the beginning of May, Amanda was dealt another blow when she found out that the critical illness insurance policy that she had been paying into for the last two years would not be paid out because the insurance company has collapsed.

Amanda has two children in junior school, Amelie, who is 10 and William, who is 7. Like most children, they enjoy activities like Cubs and Brownies and dancing and swimming. These activities are all the more important now as they offer the children a place to go and have fun and forget about things while their mum is poorly.

Amanda knows that, without receiving her enhancements or her medical insurance payment, she will no longer be able to afford these types of activities for her children (let alone the bigger financial burdens that come with paying bills and running the house).

I am setting up this page to help raise funds for Amanda and her family so that she has one less thing to worry about while undertaking the biggest fight of her life. The money raised will go directly to Amanda and will be used towards things like the children’s clubs and class fees, school trips (including a residential trip for Amelie in September), household bills and grocery and shopping expenses for Amanda.

Thank you in advance for your support of this lovely lady and her wonderful family. Every penny raised will make a huge difference to Amanda and her family in maintaining a sense of normality while they face the biggest challenge they’ve had to face as a family.

If you have ideas for fundraising or would like to help or get involved please contact me.

Thank you!