On 21/08/23 Faye's just giving page was closed down by Just Giving, this was due to it being open for 120 days. I was unaware there was a time limit and unfortunately cannot reactivate the original page. However we did raise a huge £12,805 out of the £20,000 target.

Faye and her family are absolutely overwhelmed with the support, donations and messages.

However I wasn't ready to let this page go, we still have so much more to do. I have decided to create this page ahead of the Yorkshire Marathon (Joe Carlisle, Lee Lockwood and Ben Saynor) will be running in support of Faye on 15th October) we do not expect or want people to feel the need to re donate. We are fully aware some people donated more than once and that is amazing and very generous but we are reactivating and sharing in the hope that Faye's story can be shared further afield. A share really does make a massive difference.

Since creating the page, Faye got married, visited Centre Parcs for the first time and made some amazing family memories and some huge achievements too, including the 5k Race For Life, with her husband Chris and baby boy Arlie. Faye is still feeling dizzy, and has days in bed, she obviously has some down days but most of the time she is her upbeat and positive self. I couldn't be any more proud of her.

Help us raise awareness of bowel cancer in young people and let's get to that 20k!! Thank you

Becky x

Faye's Story

On 4th December 2022 one of my closest friends was given the most devastating news that she has stage 4 bowel cancer which has spread to her liver.

Faye, is a 32 year old Mummy to a beautiful baby boy, Arlie and wife to be to the amazing Chris. In December, Faye should have been finalising her upcoming wedding and preparing for a brand new adventure moving across the globe to Australia thanks to an amazing opportunity with Chris' work.

Instead Faye and her family were left reeling with this shattering cancer diagnosis.

Symptoms...

Faye suffered with dizziness for years and visited the doctors several times with no diagnosis. She became ill quite easily, picking up colds, Tonsillitis and feeling generally unwell all the time and it really started to get her down. She then began struggling with extreme fatigue for no apparent reason. The doctors didn't pick up on anything being wrong and kept sending her away. Faye isn't one to moan and tried her hardest to carry as normal.

In 2021 Faye gave birth to her son, Arlie. After this time the fatigue became gradually worse but she put it down to being a new Mum and lack of sleep. However there became a point where she felt something wasn't quiet right. She broke down and told Chris she just wanted to feel normal again. She begged the doctors to listen and was finally given a blood test.

Once the blood results came back Faye recieved a phone call to ask if she was ok, they were suprised she was with the results they were looking at. They told her she had extremely low hemogloblin and iron and was booked straight into Barnsley Hospital as an outpatient. Faye sat patiently in hospital when she was told they woudn't be able to see her that day, despite just being sent there by the very worried doctor. Faye informed the doctors that she would struggle to return the following day due to childcare and really needed help as she felt so unwell, she was confused that everything seemed so serious prior to her arrival to then be told they couldn't help her that day. Finally she was seen and received an iron transfusion. The following day Faye felt so poorly and couldn't stop crying, the doctors didn't seem phased by this and told her she had anemia and it would take time. After breaking down in front of the doctor, more tests were done which resulted in Faye having a blood transfusion. The words Cancer never once crossed her mind.

Things didn't seem to get much better and Faye still felt really unwell and extremely tired. She spent alot of time in bed trying to sleep it off. More doctors appointments were made, too many to keep count.

Faye informed the doctors the iron transfusion hadn't helped, nor had the blood transfusion. She was still feeling really dizzy, weak, exhausted and had started with back pain. At this point she was finally offered an appointment for a Colonoscopy.

Prior to the procedure Faye was obviously very nervous but the doctor advised her not to worry, she was too young to have bowel cancer. During the procedure Faye thought she had seen something sinister on the screen but reminded herself what the doctor had told her.

After the colonoscopy it was confirmed a tumour had been found. Faye was given a CT scan which showed the cancer had also spread across her liver.

Why Just Giving?

Now for the main reason Faye is allowing me to share her story. She has been insured for several years with the same company for both critical illness and life insurance. In 2019 Faye updated her cover and incorrectly answered a medical question (completely unrelated to her current diagnosis) 4 years later this error has come back to haunt her as the insurance company have declared both policies as VOID, meaning they have no help financially now or in the future, this could result in Faye having to return to work during treatment. To think financial worries have been added to an already unbearable situation breaks my heart.

The issue with the insurance has been going on for months, with its ups and downs and what ifs. But when Faye received the final decision that the insurance is void she took the news like a champ, and said money isn't everything. Don't worry. But I do worry. Why should my friend have to go through all of this and then be hit with another blow?

She absolutely shouldn't have to work during this time, some days she is taking morphine due to the pain, other days she is out at another farm with Arlie but whatever she is doing she should not be worrying about money. Chris has been working all the hours he can to help support his family whilst also trying to be the best Dad and biggest support for Faye (his dances outside in the rain while Faye has treatment are my favourite).

Any money donated will be used by Faye and her family, to alleviate money worries, provide the opportunity to make special family memories and to support Arlie in his future.

We are trying to raise as much money as possible and are so grateful of any donation...big or small, it means everything that you have taken the time to read this far. I don't think Faye will mind me sharing that she should have received £77,000 from critical illness cover alone, so this is a huge gulp moment :(

She has enough to worry about at the minute but relieving the financial pressure would be one less concern for her and her beautiful family.

xxx