Tragic young parents both dying of cancer
Double agony for little girls who are set to lose their mum and dad
A BABY and her toddler sister face being orphaned after their parents were diagnosed with terminal cancer within three months of each other.
Caitlin Graveley, 39, was told she had stage four bowel cancer in November after suffering pain that she initially put down to her pregnancy.
Her husband Adam, 38, was then diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in February. The couple, parents to four-month-old Fearn and two-year- old Thea, are now trying to raise awareness of aggressive cancer in the under-40s.
Mr Graveley, a graphic designer from Farnham in Surrey, met Australian Caitlin, a landscape artist, while travelling. They married in 2014 and live in Perth in Australia.
Mr Graveley’s family in the UK have started a fundraiser to help the couple during their treatment. His sister, Emma Reynolds, 41, from Abbeymead in Gloucestershire, said: ‘I don’t think you’ll ever be able to understand why or process both of [the diagnoses].
‘We’re hoping and praying every day that the treatment they’re getting works, and that they’ve got years rather than months.’
Mrs Graveley had suffered continuous abdominal pain during pregnancy. Doctors found a tumour after she had a colonoscopy. The cancer has now spread to her liver.
Mrs Reynolds said: ‘It was absolutely devastating. The tumour in her colon was quite large so they reckon she’d had it for over a year and a half, but because she was pregnant it could’ve masked the pain.’ The tumour was removed and she is now undergoing chemotherapy to try to kill the inoperable cancer on her liver.
Mr Graveley had suffered pains in his side before his diagnosis but had no other symptoms. His sister said: ‘We thought it was just going to be a stomach ulcer or his appendix.’ But scans showed he had large masses on his pancreas and liver – the result of pancreatic cancer that had developed for more than a year.
Mrs Reynolds said: ‘ His liver is covered in lesions. It’s the worst cancer you can get, which is pancreatic cancer, it was just awful.’
He started an aggressive chemotherapy drug trial two days later.
‘He can’t even concentrate,’ said Mrs Reynolds. ‘It’s just like you’re so vacant, you’re just so tired.’
She added that she hopes to raise awareness of their story as the couple are so young.
To donate to a fundraiser for the couple, go to justgiving. com/ crowdfunding/adamandcait