Mum-of-two: “I want this Mother’s Day to be special – it might be my last”
Nicola White has terminal cancer and is desperate to raise £75,000 for potentially life-saving treatment...
aughing and L joking as they gaze at sharks and jellyfish at London’s Sea Life Aquarium, Nicola White and her family seem like any other enjoying a day out.
But sadly they’ve been through unimaginable heartache after Nicola, 32, was diagnosed with terminal cancer – and may only have months to live.
Brave Nicola fought bone cancer aged 15 and was given the all-clear.
But she was dealt another blow when she was diagnosed with secondary lung cancer last year and also told the devastating news that it’s incurable.
Now Nicola – who is married to Alex, 36 – is on a mission to raise £75,000 for a radiation treatment that could prolong her life – so she can see her children Owen, 12, and Ava, eight, grow up.
Closer took Nicola and her family out for a day sightseeing in London, visiting London’s Sea Life Aquarium, Shrek’s Adventure and the London Eye to hear more about her plight.
SPECIAL TREATMENT
Nicola, from Llanelli, Wales, says: “The trip was so uplifting; it gave us a chance to be carefree for the day and have fun together. The children loved Shrek’s Adventure and all the fish at the Aquarium.
“This Mother’s Day is so important to me – I’m scared it may be my last if I don’t get the help I need. Usually on Mother’s Day, Alex cooks a meal and Ava likes to make me breakfast in bed. I hate to think how my children will feel on Mother’s Day each year if I’m gone.
“The news my cancer was terminal devastated us. But proton beam therapy could prolong my life – it works by targeting cancerous cells, leaving healthy tissue and organs undamaged.
“The treatment isn’t available here but you can have it in Europe or America – I’m determined to give it a shot. I want to make sure I’m here for more happy days like this.”
Nicola was just 15 when she was diagnosed with bone cancer. As a result, she had her right knee and part of her right shin removed.
She recalls: “It was horrible going through something like that at such a young age. I struggled to walk but I just wanted to get back to normal.”
HEARTBREAKING NEWS
In 2002, aged 17, Nicola met Alex, a mechanic, through friends, and went on to have Owen and Ava with him.
In 2011, she had her right leg amputated after contracting septicaemia, but she wouldn’t let it bring her down.
She says: “It was difficult adapting – especially because my children were both so young.
“But I was determined not to let it hold me back. I learnt to walk on prosthetics and I drive a specially adapted car.”
With a happy marriage and two beautiful children, Nicola felt her life was complete.
But her world came crashing down in September 2015 when a nasty cough was diagnosed as secondary lung cancer.
She recalls: “I couldn’t believe it. I’d constantly been fighting illness all my life, so to have the cancer was absolutely devastating.”
Nicola had five months of chemotherapy but was dealt more heartbreaking
‘We’re making the most of every moment’
news when she was told her condition was terminal.
She explains: “Doctors explained my tumours were too embedded to be operated on. And I couldn’t have any more chemotherapy because I’d had so much treatment as a child that my body had become immune to the treatment.
“I felt like my future had been stolen from me. The thought of not being there for my children or seeing them grow up was terrifying.”
STAYING STRONG
Since the diagnosis, Nicola has been trying to raise the £75,000 needed for proton therapy.
She says: “We’ve raised £62,000 since January, so our target is in sight. Our whole community has rallied round – people have done things like cake sales and sky-dives to raise money – but we’re scared we won’t hit our target.”
Despite this, the family are trying to stay positive.
Nicola adds: “Alex is my rock and keeps me strong. I’ve explained things to the children. Ava is too young to understand fully but Owen can get upset. I try to keep things as normal as possible – doing the school run, making dinner and helping the children with their homework.”
As Mother’s Day approaches, the family are planning a trip to the park followed by a homemade meal. Nicola says: “We just want to spend quality time together and make the most of every moment we have. My dream is that proton therapy will allow me to be cancer-free forever and that I can continue to fundraise for other people in a similar situation.
“More than anything, I want to see my children grow up.”