At the age of 30, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer, just three months after watching my beautiful mum suffer a long, painful death from the same disease.

Four years on, and after 10 brutal operations (bowel surgery, colostomy bag, double liver surgery, lung resection) and five courses of chemotherapy, I was dealt the final blow.

“You will be dead in four to six months,” my oncologist told me, after waiting nervously alone to see him. He explained that my latest scan results show I now have multiple tumours in my lungs and that the existing tumours there have all doubled in size.

I burst into tears. I couldn’t believe it. Why is this happening to me?

He recommended that I am immediately put onto an intense chemotherapy and antibody combination, which worked well for me in 2018, and could potentially prolong my life and hopefully even save it.

The bad news is that this treatment is only free on the NHS once in a patient’s lifetime, so I need to fund it privately at a cost of £3000 every two weeks for the rest of my life. He explained that sadly there is a life-to-cost calculator and this decision is out of his control.

After a lot of crying and desperate emails, he managed to secure one of 30 places on a “top up” programme, where the drug is partially subsidised, meaning I can have it for £1000 every two weeks.

Even with this glimmer of hope, I still need £2000 a month, which will add an even greater burden to me at this impossibly difficult time. I’m not ready to die. I’m only 34 and desperately want to spend more time with my husband, another Christmas with my family, and be with my baby nephew on his third birthday.

I have fought with every ounce of strength I have to beat this awful disease and I still believe that I can do it. I just need some help fighting it. If you can spare anything at all that could help fund this treatment to extend my life, I will be forever grateful.

Honestly, I believe in miracles.

Love and thanks,

Ellie x