In February 2014, my mum, Valerie Coulson, was diagnosed with stage three C primary peritoneal cancer and informed that she had between three months and two years to live. At this stage she was informed this was an incurable diagnosis. She went on to have three sessions of chemotherapy followed by a major debulking operation to remove the remaining cancer, and three more sessions of chemotherapy. My mum was, and still is, allergic to the form of chemotherapy that she needs for her cancer and therefore the sessions could last up to 9 hours as the nurses had to deliver the medicine slowly in line with an antihistamine in order for her body to accept it. If not, she had a severe allergic reaction causing her extreme pain and discomfort whilst also going into anaphylactic shock.

She was fortunate enough for a more positive outcome than initially expected, and went into remission for 21 months. Unfortunately in March 2016, we were informed my mum’s cancer was beginning to show signs of returning and was offered the opportunity to enrol upon a drugs trial which we did. She had been monitored throughout her time upon the trial but upon a visit to clinic, at St. James Oncology, we were informed that she was to be removed from the trial as the cancer was now at a progressive stage and therefore immediate chemotherapy was required. She has undergone another 6 cycles of Chemotherapy and is now being monitored closely with three weekly visits to St. James Hospital, as with Ovarian cancer it is always expected to return.

Through research that I have conducted, the only drug that seems to have positive benefits for ovarian cancer is Bevacizumab (Avastin) which is now no longer funded by the NHS as of last year. Research states that it is estimated that over 2,500 women would benefit from Avastin every year. Avastin isn't a cure and I fully understand this but it can extend lives by up to two years! You can literally put a price on life with this treatment! Can you help?