Let’s Help Teresa Beat Cancer

In 2001, when she was 20 yrs old, Teresa dove into the water at Kaiteriteri & hit the seabed. After an 8 month long stay at Burwood Hospital, she is now a tetraplegic confined to her wheelchair.

While still in Burwood she bought her first Staffordshire Bull Terrier & has become a stalwart of the dog world.

She is a life member of NDKA, immediate past vice president of the Mainland Staffordshire Bull Terrier Society, currently helps run the NDKA scent work, runs the ribbon parades, aswell as being chief raffle money confiscator.

3.5 yrs ago, she was diagnosed with a melanoma that was removed, along with a lymph node & given the all clear.

9 months later another lump was found under her armpit. It was found that it had also spread to her brain, shoulder, left humerus, lung and spleen. She has undergone immunotherapy, which was initially successful. She was again given the all clear in April, allowed the ring the bell at Nelson hospital which signifies end of treatment.

A month later she had her routine 3 month CT scan, and it was found that the tumour under her arm has grown again. In 2 weeks she will have another CT scan to check the status of the other tumours.

Unfortunately the tumour in the armpit is inoperable due to its position. The oncologist has recommended Oral Chemotherapy - Cobimetenib & Vemurafenib, as the next course of action. In NZ this treatment is unfunded.

Now is our time to support her. The Oral Chemotherapy treatment will cost around 50k for a 5 month course.