Help keep mum swimming!

$3,760 of $10,000 goal

Given by 51 generous donors in one year

We are hoping to raise funds to cover a chemotherapy drug called Avastin that will improve mum's quality of life during treatment.

Bay of Plenty

Mum, Kate Wills, was diagnosed with Bowel cancer in May 2019. She underwent successful brain surgery to remover a tumor caused by the cancer, which she is now recovering from.

Her treatment for the rest of the cancer is chemotherapy, which is starting after a small surgery in early July.

She is very fit, and the doctors are incredibly positive with how the treatment will work with her body. We are aiming for her to be feeling 'normal' in between treatments, and it is especially important that she is still able to swim!

Luckily the basic chemotherapy drugs and procedures are fully funded or covered by insurance. Any funds raised will be going towards an extra drug called Avastin that is not fully funded. This drug will greatly increase mum's quality of life during treatment and improve the outcome of the treatment. Once the drug has been paid for, mum will be able to use it for as long as she is having treatment.

Thank you so much for all your support!

Kelly Wills-Pine's involvement (page creator)

While basic chemo is funded and covered by insurance, there is an extra drug called Avastin available which will greatly benefit mum that is not funded. We hope to use this drug to give her the best fighting chance.

Use of funds

All funds will go towards extra chemo drugs and unexpected medical costs.

Keep on Keeping On 23 April 2020

Posted by: Katherine (Kate) Jane Wills

Time on our hands, time for an update. All is going well, I am still alive, thank you everybody.... I am still aiming for 20 years ! 😊

So….It came as a complete surprise to Kelly and I that, although we were told on first consultation with our private oncologist the primary drugs for Bowel Cancer (FOLFIRI) were "Government Funded", in fact they are not in all circumstances completely Govt. Funded, in that if you are under private care (which I am in order to receive the Avastin), that the "Govt. Funded" drugs actually have to be paid for by you or your insurer. Yesterday we found out that because of this, my private insurance cover has maxed out (which we did not expect), and that I will have to pay far more costs than originally expected to continue with the Chemotherapy that seems to be working so well!. There is a solution that I can get the FOLFIRI from a DHB Hospital, but they cannot administer the Avastin, so I have to get my running shoes on and run between two hospitals! The Avastin has been almost covered, but because I have already paid out for the Government Funded drugs, there are still more costs mounting up. It is quite daunting to think this is going to go on for 10 or more years. The last thing I ever want to do was leave my daughter with a debt after my death.

The donations we have received so far are incredibly generous, particularly right now in the circumstances of COVID-19, where a lot of you will be financially suffering from job losses or downturn of business. We will be looking to raise funds on an ongoing basis and appreciate each and every one of you, so sorry if we don’t get completely on to of it and thank you personally.

Thank you thank you thank you. Stay well, stay safe. See you out and about soon, I hope!

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