My name is Kelly Stabb & I am 39 Years old. I am married to Simon and we have 2 lovely boys. Jake is 10 Years old and Luke is 8.

You may have already seen my story on various social networking sites, when diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer in 2017 I had decided I would try and help and support those who try to detect, cure and prevent this dreadful disease. Together with everyone’s support we raised over £35,000 in 8 months for Bowel Cancer West, £5000 of that I have donated to the Ricky Grant Unit at Torbay hospital. Thank you so much to those that donated or supported me in anyway x.

Things have changed dramatically for me in the last few months. I believed I was curable until receiving the devastating news in February this year that the cancer had spread to various parts of my body. I am so desperate I don’t know what else to do. When I began fundraising for BCW I believed after chemotherapy things could be ok, I couldn’t have been anymore further from reality. I am now reaching the end of standard care treatment; my condition is only getting worse and my oncologist has said that I potentially have several years. How long is that? I keep thinking “I’m a wife and a mum to two young boys. They shouldn’t have to consider not having me around. Mums and Dads are always there for their children. That’s our job”. After being able to run half marathons and more, I now struggle to walk short distances.

A recent prognosis from a doctor in America told me a person in my condition may survive 30 months from date of diagnosis. My diagnosis was in January 2017 (18 months ago).

My options are

1. Stop all treatment and try and be as well as possible for however long I survive

2. Continue with the standard treatment that is rendering me unwell most days, in pain and upset and not stopping this cancer progressing

3. Seek out anything that may prolong my life and time with my family and friends

I attended an appointment with a consultant in London last Monday (16th July 2018). He told me that a report my husband had obtained privately, identified a type of mutation in my cancer cell that may benefit from a specific type of treatment.

He was so direct when he said to me “IT DEPENDS HOW MUCH YOU WANT IT, I HAVE PATIENTS WHO ARE 12 MONTHS IN WITH NO FURTHER CANCER GROWTH”.

He told me that a treatment that was part of a current trial may be beneficial to me, I was not eligible for the trial, but would need to fund it privately as the NHS would not cover it. It is available for treatment of certain types of cancers on the NHS, but not mine? It would cost approximately £10,000 a month. He believes I will need to raise £200,000 to be in a position of continued treatment. I have 10 weeks, as this is when my current treatment could end.

When I heard that amount, my heart sank. How could I ask those that have kindly donated and supported in raising £35,000 for BCW to now support me in raising 5 times as much. Before all of this we were planning to extend our house, we borrowed money to complete the work, now we are in the position of having to consider selling it. We are unlikely to sell the house in ten weeks, the money we borrowed to extend is still in savings for fear of this situation when it started. We have £20,000. Our friend Nicola has kindly been raising money over the last few months towards potential treatment, this gives us another £7000. I still need to find £173,000!!!!

Our family are looking into ways of raising money through re-mortgaging their own properties and borrowing. When you have said so many times to yourself and your children money can’t buy happiness, it really brings home it could, but I am fully aware that there is no guarantee in my position. Being able to see your children grow up, spend time with your family and friends and be with your husband and Maggie, my trusted old English mastiff, is so important to me. I have always so appreciated the simple, but important things in life.

I have set up a fundraising page on just giving, the details are……

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kelly-stabb/story

Please help if you can, even a small amount may go a long way. One question you may have is what if it doesn’t work? or isn’t an option? what happens to the money?

Simon or I will ensure you get it back or you can nominate a charity it goes to. I will ensure that regular updates are placed on my just giving page. If the treatment shows no signs of helping me I will tell you and will not waste your valuable money. I will then include my email address so that you can contact me direct.

So again, and apologies for doing so, I am asking for your help, anything you can do to support me?

One thing I must say is that whatever happens to me and however long I have got left I have been so touched and overwhelmed by the love and support from so many people. Thank you so much for making me feel so special and loved in my time of need. I can never thank you all enough and fully explain just how much your support has lifted me.

Massive thank you’s

Love Kelly x