BRAVE MUM’S CANCER BATTLE
Daughter Tiegan launches fundraiser as they search for ‘alternative treatment’
A West Lothian woman has launched a fundraiser for her “beautiful and amazing” mum who has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer at just 36 years old.
Tiegan Smith says her family is hoping for a miracle after mum Laura Mcaloon was told the cancer has spread to her brain.
Tiegan (20) has two younger siblings, Connor aged just two and Demileigh (13), and the family are now desperately raising money to fund alternative treatments for the “one of a kind” mum.
She told the Courier: “My mum had me at just 16 and throughout my whole life she’s been nothing but an amazing mum. She’s always pushed me to do my best and thanks to her encouragement,
I have started my first year at Stirling Uni studying social work.
“We lost my gran to cancer and my nana, my mum’s mum and my mum’s gran, they were both under 55.
“Cancer is an evil disease and we have already experienced so much loss in our family due to it.
“We refuse to let history repeat itself. Cancer treatments have become more advanced than ever before but unfortunately, not all treatments are available on the NHS.”
The fundraising page has already raised over £5000 and Tiegan said they have now organised a Zoom consultation with a private clinic in Aberdeen tomorrow (Friday).
This consultation will be to determine if Laura, who lives in Bathgate with fiance Mark Smith, is suitable for mistletoe therapy, which has been proven to greatly increase quality of life but is not available on the NHS.
Tiegan continued: “This is only one of many treatments/therapies we are looking into. We are willing to travel over the world if need be, all in the hope of giving my beautiful, amazing mum more time with her kids.
“We are also awaiting a consultation with Rutherford Cancer Centre down in England. This is hard at any time but
The support has been amazing… it has lifted all out spirits including mum’s Daughter Tiegan
during a worldwide pandemic there are days I feel helpless.
“It’s very difficult to find appropriate locations for potential treatment but despite this, we are looking worldwide and we are willing to travel anywhere.
“We have heard so many stories about people who have been given a terminal diagnosis and received treatment elsewhere and survived for years and years.
“The Gofundme will be used now for said consultations as they can range anywhere between £200 and £400.
“Hopefully, we can raise enough to not only find the right treatment option for my mum but to also begin to treat her.
“With covid, it’s extremely difficult to do any sort of fundraising. However, my old colleagues at Redmill Care Home are doing a collection and a lot of small local businesses have contributed with raffles and so on.
“The support has been amazing and has not only helped financially but also, it has lifted all our spirits, including my mum’s.
“Of course, we would love my mum to be cured but we are also realistic. We want our mum to see us graduate, get married, have kids.
“We want her to see her two year old go to school. We don’t expect a magic cure but we hope that through alternative treatments and anything else we can try she will be with us for years to come.”
• To donate visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/eceb3-help-my-mum-beat-cancer?utm_campaign=p_cp+sharesheet&utm_medium=email&utm_source=customer-andr