Help two young kids make memories with their māmā

In 2020, 26 year-old Leah had her hands full looking after her young son (2) and daughter (4) and dismissed the lump on her breast as just one of those things. It was only a chance mention to her GP on an unrelated visit that turned her world upside down.

Leah had an aggressive form of breast cancer (Stage 3), and fought it fiercely. She went through 6 rounds of chemo, removed both breasts and all of her right lymph nodes and had 15 rounds of radiotherapy. Finally, she was given the all-clear.

At the end of 2021, Leah developed a cough that wouldn’t go away. In July 2022, she learnt that the cancer had spread to her lungs and she now had Stage 4 terminal cancer. Without immediate treatment, doctors said she would only have a few months left to live, and with treatment - up to a year. Determined to make the most of her time, Leah embarked on a further six rounds of chemo.

In Dec 2022, Leah was found unconscious. She had a buildup of fluid around her heart, which meant it couldn’t pump against the pressure of the fluid. Doctors managed to stabilise Leah and drain the fluid. Since then, tests have shown that the cancer has significantly progressed in her lungs, and spread to her clavicle area, lumbar spine and pelvis.

In March, Leah was told that if she doesn’t restart treatment she only has weeks left. Leah has since restarted chemo, hoping that this will give her enough time to see her son Ezra turn 5 and walk into school with his big sister Maia (6) at the end of April.