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Supporting Ruth through stage 4 bowel cancer

  • Closing page - thank you to each and every person who donated <3

      25 July 2025

    Hello all,

    We are closing this Give a Little page:

    From Ruth: “to get to where I am in my cancer journey would not have been possible without your beautiful, amazing generosity. I am forever grateful and forever indebted to you for helping me get to this stage where we can close this funding stream off now. So with a final thank you and goodbye, Ruth.

    Ruth and her family are overwhelmingly grateful to each and every person who has donated. Your generosity has allowed everyone to breathe a little easier, offering support to Ruth, her husband, and their two children during this incredibly difficult time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    Big love,

    Ruth & family.

    x

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  • GOOD SCAN! And donations piechart

      28 May 2025
    Posted by: Ruth Mitchener
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    After a harrowing wait (the wait for scan results is always a bi@ch) I just found out the results of the latest scan, which were all good!

    Theres significant shrinkage of the tumors in the lungs, and the tumors in the liver are stable. Still continuing on with the Encorafenib and Centuximab immunotherapy drugs at this stage, though they are starting to take their toll, (going from somebody who never even took paracetamol, to this constant input of drugs into my body is a shift and struggle) but i know they are doing amazing work, and a bit of fatigue and grossness is much better than the alternative. I am immensely grateful for all of your help in making these drugs accessible for me, i literally wouldn’t be here without you!

    My amazing husband andrew has done a breakdown of the spending from the givealittle donations thus far (hopefully the image attached is readable) and i just want to add that the living costs portion has been so helpful, during this time, we have used it to replace our car after it got stolen, and replace our hot water cylinder when it crapped out, and also build me a studio in the back garden. So super grateful for all of that too! You guys are amazing. Xxx Ruth

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  • Reopening This Page — For Continued Support of Ruth’s Recovery

      20 May 2025
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    Hello wonderful people,

    We so appreciate everyone who has generously supported Ruth and her family’s journey. We cannot stress enough how grateful we are for your life-saving support!

    The miraculous drugs you helped pay for meant the primary tumour was able to be successfully removed from her bowel in March. She’s recovering really well from that surgery.

    But the fight isn’t over yet. Ruth continues to need ongoing access to the Encorafenib medication and her regular appointments at Bowen, which cost between $2,422 and $2,755 each fortnight, to help shrink the remaining tumours in her liver and lungs.

    Since Ruth’s diagnosis in March 2024, she hasn’t been able to work, and her husband Andrew has reduced his hours to around 30 a week to be there for her, so finances are extremely tight.

    As this is a critical time, we are reopening this page to help Ruth stay on track with treatment and to relieve some of the pressure.

    Any and all support is welcomed - we’ll never be able to truly express how much your continued love and support has meant to us. If you would like to share this page, please please do. Every bit of support makes a difference.

    Warmest,

    Ruth's whanau.

    X

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  • Great News at last!

      2 April 2025
    Posted by: Ruth Mitchener

    I had a scan in February, and was pleased to find significant shrinkage of the tumors, enough so that the oncologist said that surgery to remove the primary cancer was a possibility! Very shortly following that, (that very night in fact) I had another bowel obstruction that meant an ambulance ride into Wellington followed by the aforementioned surgery. I woke up from the surgery to the news that a portion of my large intestine, along with the tumor, had been removed. (a right hemicolectomy) I am now recovering at home and looking forward to being able to eat a normal diet again, (after being on a low fibre diet for the past 4 months to help reduce the chances of another bowel obstruction.)

    I am luckily still having a break from chemotherapy, and am continuing with immunotherapy, the drugs that are making all of these amazing improvements possible! The cost of the life-saving encorafenib pills has dropped dramatically from $8,739 per month to $100 now that I have completed 6 rounds of it. (some strange clause they have) However, medical costs are still high, with fortnightly medical appointments at Bowen for Cetuximab infusions costing $2,422 - $2,983 each time, and these are ongoing.

    The incredible support from everyone has meant the world to us, and is truly lifesaving. The extra funds coming in from Give-a-Little are essential.

    Thank you to each and every person who has donated, shared, or sent kind words. Your support is making all the difference.

    Warmest,

    Ruth x

      2 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 03/04/2025 by Julia

      Ruth, this news made my day... Your strength, optimism, and courage - in the midst of such an ongoing, gruelling journey - truly shine through. Arohanui ki a koe me tō whānau.

    • 05/04/2025 by Sophie

      Very glad to hear that things are progressing and that the immunotherapy drugs are working well for you ❤️

  • To all who have kindly supported this page

      4 January 2025
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    Thanks to your incredible generosity, Ruth has been able to access life-changing drugs, and we’re thrilled to share that the cancer is starting to shrink. Over the holidays, Ruth had a short break from chemo, enabling her to get into her studio to paint most days.

    Her hair is beginning to grow back ever so slightly, a small but encouraging sign of progress. There was a setback just before Christmas when Ruth experienced a painful bowel obstruction and required hospitalisation. Thankfully, a new stent has been successfully placed.

    Immunotherapy treatments are continuing smoothly, with no drastic side effects so far and we are deeply grateful for this good news.

    Ruth’s treatment remains incredibly expensive, and ongoing fundraising is essential, not just for the life-saving drugs but also for everyday needs: groceries, childcare during treatments, hospital transport, and other challenges during this stressful time.

    We haven’t yet reached our goal so we are extending the page for another few months and will continue to share updates on Ruth’s progress.

    Your love and support have made this journey possible. Every kindness you’ve shown has been life-saving and means the world.

    Thank you!

    You can also check out Ruth's Instagram (@RuthMitchener) to view paintings for sale.

    Happy New Year,

    Ruth's family.

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  • Update - extending the Give a Little

      22 October 2024
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    Hello everyone, thank you so much for being on this journey with us. Your support for Ruth and her family has continued to floor us. We just wanted to give an update that we will be extending this page so that we can keep funding Ruth’s treatment!

    Her latest scan showed no growth of the cancer, and there’s even a bit of shrinkage in the bowel tumour. This makes it more important than ever to keep fundraising for the unfunded treatment that’s helping Ruth fight this cancer. Please do feel free to share this page far and wide. Every bit of support helps, and your generosity is life-saving. Thank you and with so much love.

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  • Good news!

      18 October 2024
    Posted by: Ruth Mitchener

    The latest scan results are good! No growth on any of the cancer, and what looks like a little bit of shrinkage on the bowel tumour. So thanks to all of you and your amazingly generous support, we can keep buying the non-funded immunotherapy drugs that are helping! Thank you, we are immensely grateful. Xx

      1 comment  |  Login to leave a comment

    • 19/10/2024 by Kathy

      Hi there Ruth and family , I’m Cassie’s mum and Sophia’s grandma, Cass shared your story with me which I have been following through this site and the updates your family has posted . Your latest update looks like such positive news, which is fantastic - May this trajectory continue 💖

      There are people near and far away who are supporting you and wishing you the very best - people like myself who you may not even be aware of- we carry you in our thoughts and hearts.

      Take care, love and blessings from Sophia’s grandma (Kathy) xxx

  • Supporting Ruth through stage 4 bowel cancer - update

      14 August 2024

    We are incredibly grateful for your donations so far! It has been incredible and heartwarming to feel such generosity. Your support has covered our living costs for many months, easing the financial pressure and allowing us to focus on Ruth's health.

    Last week, Ruth received results from a second scan. While we're thankful the cancer growth has slowed, there is still enough growth that our oncologist has recommended she begin private treatment. Unfortunately, the cost is huge because the necessary drugs, Cetuximab and Encorafenib, aren't funded in New Zealand.

    To cover the treatment expenses, we need to raise an additional $72,000, bringing our total goal to $133,000. We are hopeful that we can reach this goal and ensure Ruth gets the care she needs. We are so thankful for every bit of support, big and small.

    Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

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  • CT results update

      30 May 2024
    Posted by: Ruth Mitchener

    Thank you so much to everyone for your incredible generosity, we are all very overwhelmed by the immense love and support!

    Update 30/5/24: Ruth has had the results from the latest CT scan (to see if the current chemotherapy treatment is working) the scan however showed the cancer has grown a bit more since the last scan in March so next week Ruth will be starting a different chemotherapy treatment, which will hopefully do the trick, if not, the next course of action will be some unfunded drugs.

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