Jenny Kicking Cancer’s Arse

I am appealing to you as a mother wanting to help her daughter. On 9 December, my eldest child - Jenny aged just 34 - was diagnosed with an aggressive triple positive breast cancer after finding a lump in her armpit a couple of weeks prior when showering. With no family history of the disease, some might call it bad luck, but for us, it has been devastating on so many levels because Jenny lives in New Zealand with her husband and our 18-month-old grandson. As a mother all I want to do is make things better for my daughter….being so far away makes this much more difficult.

The lump in Jenny’s lymph nodes grew to the size of a tennis ball but, currently, the cancer has not spread beyond the lymph nodes. By going privately, utilizing their Southern Cross Health Insurance, Jen was able to get diagnosed and start treatment quickly. She started chemotherapy on 23 December, just two weeks post diagnosis. Treatment will involve four more rounds of chemo (six in total) before surgery, radiotherapy and more hormone treatment. It is going to be bumpy road ahead, not made any easier by the fact that, unfortunately, one of the drugs in her chemo cocktail, Pertuzumab, is non-pharmac approved (ie not publicly funded). Whilst they have a small health insurance, they still need to cover at least 20% of the costs of treatments, as well as further treatment, in case its needed. We as a family are helping in terms of financial support, but their cost of the treatment – some NZ$100,000 (circa £50,000) – is eyewatering.

Many of you have asked if there is anything you can do to help. So, this appeal for help from family and friends is to provide her with the best possible treatment in a timely manner without her worrying about the costs involved. It comes from a place of feeling that I am doing something positive for my child and grandchild, albeit from thousands of miles away. Any support you can give my young family whose lives have been totally knocked off course would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you