by Catherine Smart
A heart-wrenching appeal has been launched to support a brave single mum’s desperate fight against stage 4 cancer.
Helen Swan, from Stonehaven is a single mother of a 12 -year old son Harry, and two adult children, and is due to welcome her first grandchild this summer.
Helen was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2019, and underwent treatment on the NHS. In 2021, her cancer returned with vengeance, and with tumours in both lungs, Helen was given a stage 4 diagnosis and just 6 months to live.
Helen refused to accept this bleak diagnosis, and for the sake of her family, did some research into complementary therapies to support her immune system, and implemented her own protocol of supplements, diet and mistletoe therapy at Camphill Wellbeing Trust. This fighting spirit and protocol allowed Helen to defy the odds, keeping her cancer at bay until recently.
With further spread of her cancer, Helen is now in a desperate situation, with only palliative treatment available to her on the NHS. Helen’s cancer is now in both lungs, bones, spine, soft issue, and liver. Her only hope for survival is undergoing groundbreaking German cancer therapy called TACE (Transarterial Chemoembolization).
This innovative and cutting-edge treatment delivers a high dose of chemotherapy directly to the tumour via an artery, whilst also cutting off its’ blood supply, potentially shrinking the tumour(s) and improving survival. TACE is not currently available to Helen in the UK.
Thanks to fundraising, Helen has had three rounds of TACE so far, and her tumours are shrinking. TACE is extremely hard on Helen and her family, and each visit to Germany costs in the region of £5000. The treatment will stop at the end of June unless we can raise more money to get Helen to Frankfurt to continue with this potentially life saving treatment.
There is a Gofundme set up to help Helen pay for TACE, and this has so far raised £23 000. Whilst extremely grateful for all donations received so far, it is important to continue, and we have a target of £60k.
Gofundme link: