Donations flood in for nurse fighting cancer

Fund to pay cost of private immunotherapy treatment for mumof-two boosted by £18k in 24 hours

A family has been “overwhelmed” as donations pour in to give a motherof-two a vital chance to battle a rare cancer.

Jillian and Robert Steedman, had their world rocked when she discovered two breast lumps in May 2019, shortly after the birth of their son, Reuben.

Jillian, a nurse at Ninewells Hospital, had a scan and two biopsies before receiving the devastating news the cancer had spread from another part of her body.

Doctors failed to discover the primary source of the cancer, but a CT scan revealed the true extent of the situation – the cancer was at Stage 4 and doctors were unable to operate.

In a bid to give Jillian a chance, Robert’s brother, Alex, set up an appeal to raise vital funding for private treatment.

Offshore worker Alex said the family had tried to raise the funds privately over recent months before setting up the gofundme page.

A target of £75,000 has been set for immunotherapy treatment that could help Jillian’s immune system fight the cancer.

“We are hoping that with this treatment we can change Jillian’s prognosis,” said Alex.

“My brother and his wife have been together since high school and they have a young family.

“It’s the worst words that anyone could hear that Jillian may have only 18 months to live.

“We are hoping to raise funds to help her receive private treatment either in the UK or abroad.”

A total of more than £18,000 was raised in just over 24 hours.

Alex added: “We’ve been stunned just how quickly that has been raised.

“On behalf of my brother and the whole family, we can’t thank people enough.

“Jillian’s official diagnosis was that she had metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of unknown primary, a very rare cancer.

“She was advised in September 2019 that she was not a candidate for surgery as the cancer was too widespread.”

Jillian was put on a six-cycle intensive chemotherapy called Carboplatin and Etoposide which she has previously administered to patients herself.

“Family and friends prayed this gruelling chemo could help to regress the cancer as she vowed to “do anything, to see and be with my babies growing up”.

Alex continued: “Jillian has been brilliant but the second-last chemo started to weaken her, and she admitted it all became a bit of a blur as she was so exhausted.”

The family received the devastating news that Jillian’s chemotherapy hadn’t worked, as scans revealed the tumours had increased in size and spread into her liver.

Doctors gave the prognosis the only chemotherapy treatment left to assist her was Capecitabine and Temozolomide which would only offer palliative care.

Alex added: “The level of donations has taken me aback. We’ve had both Dundee and Dundee United getting in touch and also Glasgow Rangers.

“I’ve spoken with Greg Burke of the Besty’s charity and they’ve donated £1,000, which is brilliant.

“It has been overwhelming to see the level of donations in such a short space of time.

“We’ve had people donating from Ireland and also Marnie from Geordie Shore as well as people from the local community.”

To donate visit: gofundme.com/ f/86p28v-help-jill-fight-cancer

Jillian, Robert and their two children, four-year-old Emily and one-year-old Reuben.