Heartbreak as brave Leighanne slips into a coma

Cancer mum’s family fears for the worst

A Renfrewshire mum battling stage four brain cancer has slipped into a coma.

In a heartbreaking online post, Leighanne Sanderson’s sister Katie shared the devastating news that Leighanne is now “at home where she wanted to be” after her health declined on Sunday morning.

Mum-of-one Leighanne returned from a clinic in Germany last Wednesday after supporters from across Renfrew rallied together to raise nearly £90,000 for her to undergo potentially life-saving cancer treatment.

The Paisley Daily Express reported last week that treatment had gone well and Leighanne’s family were feeling positive, revealing that her “blood and ops were great”.

But in a post on Facebook, Katie shared that on Sunday, Leighanne had taken “a turn for the worse”.

Katie wrote: “I didn’t even want to put a post on but after speaking to my mum, we thought it was best to let people who have supported us and helped us to know that Leighanne took a turn for the worst early on Sunday morning.

“Leighanne is in a bad way and in a coma.

“She is at home where she wanted to be and family are with her also.”

Katie ended the post asking that people respect the family’s privacy.

She added: “Please can people not send messages as this is such a difficult time for us all.”

Leighanne, 38, was misdiagnosed by doctors several times.

She was told she had meningitis, migraines, tinnitus and sinusitis before finally getting the news she had a brain tumour.

By that time, the cancer had reached stage four and was incurable.

The former NHS physio assistant underwent surgery to remove 95 per cent of the tumour and was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Doctors then gave Leighanne the devastating diagnosis that she has two to four months to live.

Her family’s discovery of life-saving specialist treatment at Hallwang Private Oncology Clinic in Dornstetten sparked a fundraising campaign.

In just over 12 weeks, supporters of Let’s Get Leighanne to Germany raised around £90,000 to pay for the treatment.