‘It has turned our lives upside down. I have a prognosis of six to eight months so I want to make the most of that
MUM OVERWHELMED WITH GENEROSITY
WHEN Allison Kelly was struggling to breathe, doctors initially believed she had been experiencing post-coronavirus symptoms.
But her condition deteriorated so much she was later admitted into hospital where she was found to have 4.6 litres of fluid in her left lung.
Following further tests, it was discovered that the 55-year-old had lung cancer – with medics revealing she may only have six to eight months left to live.
The news has turned her family’s lives upside down, with it being just 25 years ago since the Prudhoe mum-ofone beat breast cancer aged 29.
The archery champion now has her sights set on marrying her long-term partner Alan, 58, following her devastating diagnosis.
She said: “Telling Alan and my 17-year-old daughter Sophie was hard because I knew it would break their world. I absolutely dreaded telling them but more so my mum.
“It has turned our lives upside down. I have a prognosis of six to eight months so I want to make the most of that.
“I don’t do worry or stress. I am generally a relaxed person and I take everything in my stride.
“Alan and I have been together for more than 27 years and we hope to get married soon. It would mean a lot to me before I start my treatment.”
It was in April when Allison began suffering from a shortness of breath and a cough with doctors putting them down to being post-coronavirus symptoms.
She did eventually get tested for Covid-19, which came back with a negative result.
At the start of June, her condition rapidly deteriorated and she was struggling to breathe. An X-ray was carried out that showed 4.6 litres of fluid in her left lung, causing it to collapse.
A biopsy revealed the heartbreaking news that Allison had mesothelioma – a type of cancer that mainly affects the lining of the lungs.
More than 2,600 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK with the cause usually linked to asbestos exposure. It’s rarely possible to cure mesothelioma, although treatment can help control the symptoms.
Allison spent a total of 12 days on ward 52, the respiratory ward at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, and was full of praise for those doctors who cared for her in difficult circumstances during the coronavirus pandemic.
She is awaiting news on whether she is eligible to participate in a trial of a drug which is hoped to manage the symptoms of the cancer.
She said: “The doctors have been excellent and have done everything they can to help me.
“There’s very little they can do. I am hoping to be put on a trial to help but I’ve not been given a huge amount of time.
“If I don’t go on the trial I will have chemotherapy but there’s no cure.
“I don’t know if the radiotherapy from the treatment when I was 29 has caused the cancer but if it has then I have no regrets.
“I have had a ball.”
Allison is devastated at not being able to continue her passion for archery – a sport which she has represented Great Britain despite only taking it up five years ago.
She is a member of Riverside Archers team, based at Thorpe Academy, Ryton, and won the 51st Durham and Northumberland County Indoor Championships last year.
She went on to fly the flag for Great Britain in the 3D Archery World Championships in Canada and was due to take part in the European 3D Archery Championships in Slovenia later this month.
Allison said: “I don’t have the energy levels to allow me to do it. For the past five years, it has played a huge part in my life and I’ve loved every minute.”
It is not the first time cancer has hit her family. Allison revealed a gene fault has meant she has lost her dad and two sisters to the disease while her half-sister was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
She says she is exhausted a lot of the time now meaning she spends more time in bed.
When friend Janet Allan asked how her final months could be made better, a modest Allison asked for a wardrobe and some paint on her bedroom walls as well their back garden being cleared.
And she has been left overwhelmed with the generosity of the public who have donated more than £7,000 as well an army of volunteers who are fixing up her garden free of charge.
She said: “We’re not going to be doing much but if we can go for walks with the dogs and sit out in the garden in the sunshine then I will be happy.
“James Tolchard of JIFT Landscapes got in touch saying he wanted to do the garden for free. Friends and volunteers too have helped and we can’t believe it...i am humbled and overwhelmed by the amount of donations. People have contributed for Australia, New Zealand and USA. It means so much to us and we can’t thank everyone enough.”
You can donate here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/janet-allen-1