Mum tells her story to support cancer charity
A LOUGHBOROUGH mum, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when five months pregnant, has lent her support to a fundraising appeal for a special charity which has helped her through the difficult time.
Laura Pearson, 35, relies on support provided by Trekstock, the UK charity that delivers tailored support to young adults diagnosed with cancer in their 20s and 30s.
Unfortunately because of
COVID-19, the charity has found that its funding has all but collapsed overnight due to the pandemic.
The charity has launched an emergency fund-raising appeal to ensure they can continue to support young adults with cancer at this critical time.
Laura wants people to see just how important the support has been and so has shared her story to help with the appeal
A spokesperson for the charity told the Echo: “Laura, was diagnosed with breast cancer when five months pregnant, on April Fool’s Day 2016.
She had to have an induced labour at 35 weeks (luckily baby made a full recovery) but she went straight into chemotherapy afterwards and had to have her ovaries removed and a double mastectomy.
“Like most charities, Trekstock are unable to conduct traditional fund-raising activities due to the lockdown and have had to cancel their crucial fundraising events, resulting in a significant drop in donations.
“Every day, 34 young adults face a cancer diagnosis and Trekstock supports them through their cancer journey, helping to get them moving again physically, socially and psychologically.
“As a result of the pandemic, these patients who should be in the prime of their lives, and are typically underserved by support groups, could lose vital services.
“They receive no government support and have had to launch an emergency appeal to raise £50,000 that will ensure they survive through COVID-19 and continue to support young adults with cancer.
“On social media, Trekstock has been calling for the community to #ShareTheLove and raised almost £9,500 in one week – however, as you can see, they have a long way to go to raise what they need.
“Beyond the potential diminished support from Trekstock, these patients are at risk of further suffering. Covid-19 has caused an increased infection risk, disruption to cancer treatment and potential impact on outcomes.
“The social distancing caused by COVID-19 has had a severe impact on their mental health, and these young adults are feeling more anxious and alone than ever before.
“Trekstock recently took a survey with their beneficiaries and found that 89 per cent are feeling more anxious as a result of COVID-19 and 78 per cent are doing less physical activity. This is a big concern for Trekstock as the concept behind the charity is that mental and physical fitness can help patients to recuperate and improve their quality of life much faster.”
If you would like to help, or donate to the fund-raiser, please go to www.trekstock.com/news/ emergency-appeal