A young mum with stage 4 cancer needs our help.

In July 2020 at 37, Rachael (Roo) Stanford got a devastating diagnosis of Stage 4 Bowel Cancer when her second child was only 6 weeks old. The primary tumour was massive & the disease had spread extensively to her vital organs & bones. It was an extremely late diagnosis & without medical intervention she had days to live. 3 years later, she has baffled doctors & is living life to the full. Roo has had 62 (!) rounds of chemotherapy, 2 major abdominal surgeries & the max dose of radiation a person can ever receive.

Roo & husband Neil, son Oscar (6) daughter Isla (3) live in Wanaka. Roo worked at Treble Cone ski field since 2003 as a ski patroller. She’s been keeping people safe in the mountains for her entire career. She’s a strong woman & is fighting hard to be there for her children for a long time yet. Roo is full of hope & positivity & she’s not giving up.

Recently her cancer (which had receded to a few tiny lymph nodes) has started growing again. Roo was getting funded chemo alongside Avastin (see our previous page here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/roo) but she has now become resistant to the chemo and can no longer continue with Avastin

Beacon treatment is a powerful new drug combo, but it costs $80,000 a year. There are two immunotherapy drugs available & a new chemo combo, but all available options are NOT funded by Pharmac. The cost for these drugs are astronomical.

Please help them get the finances they need to access these life extending drugs Roo so desperately needs, so her children can have as much precious time with their mum as possible.