Charlotte's fundraising page

In June 2016 my Mum Wendy was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mum never smoked, barely drank and was always as fit as a fiddle. She was a member of Harpenden Golf club and would spend a lot of time playing golf or practising her swing down at the range. - So a big shock to us all when she was diagnosed after having slight shortness of breath. After complications, Mum had the whole of her left lung removed. We were told that her lymph nodes had come back clear - we thought we had beaten cancer. Unfortunately, through this whole ordeal and numerous test and scans, her brain was never scanned. Mum was confused and not quite acting like the switched on lady we all knew. Doctors put it down to all the medication and numerous general anaesthetics. Dad wasn't so sure. After pushing for weeks and weeks, we finally got a brain scan and our worst fears were confirmed in September. The cancer had spread to Mum's brain. We were told by some specialists that there was nothing that could be done, to take mum home and make her comfortable for the 3-6 months she had left. After researching different treatments which could help, on the 10th November, Dad and I took a very poorly and confused Mum to Sheffield and had Gamma Knife treatment. Dad and I were told on the morning of the treatment that Mum's tumours were very aggressive and had grown a considerable amount. The specialist wasn't hopeful that Mum would live to Christmas. However, Mum being the fighter she was, started to improve. We moved house in December and we enjoyed a lovely family Christmas in our new home. Mum didn't have the best of luck though. The steroids that were helping to keep the swelling in her brain at a manageable level, caused her to have steroid induced diabetes. Mum was then on insulin once a day and the steroids had to be reduced. She then developed a DVT in her leg, due to her not being able to move around very much. Daily injections were then added to the list. Mum was improving leaps and bounds in January, and we all started to think maybe we would have a little longer with her. Unfortunately in February, she started to deteriorate again, and on Monday 6th March, we woke to find Mum had slipped into a coma. She passed away in the afternoon at 2.45pm surrounded by family. Throughout Mum's illness, she was cared for at home by family, with nurses popping in daily to help with medication. I would like to say a special thank you to all the nurses who helped us with Mum. I'd also like to thank Dr Hemsi - He is the kindest and most generous man and I do not know what we would have done without him. The absence of Mum has left a huge hole in many hearts. We must find a cure for Cancer. No one should have to go through this. Cancer is happening right now, which is why I'm taking part in a Race for Life 5k to raise money and save lives. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single pound you donate makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work, so please sponsor me now. Donating through this page is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Cancer Research UK.