Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Family raise cash to treat mum’s cancer
A Coatbridge teacher diagnosed with brain cancer is racing against time to raise £100,000 for lifesaving treatment in Germany.
Jeana Watt collapsed at home in Motherwell in June this year, where she was discovered lying on the kitchen floor having convulsions by her husband Stephen who had returned home early from work.
The 47-year-old was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast growing grade 4 brain tumour.
The mum-of-three had almost all of the tumour removed during lengthy surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow in July – just nine days after collapsing.
The diagnosis came as a bombshell to her family, as Jeana, who works at the Skills Academy in Coatbridge, appeared fit and healthy prior to her collapse.
Stephen said: “It is a slow killer, so there was nothing beforehand that led us to believe Jeana was sick.
“I was completely shocked when I saw her on the floor, I had no idea it was so serious. She had just been to a chiropractor so my initial thoughts were hoping they hadn’t twisted or moved something they shouldn’t have.
“But it turned into something even more serious. We were heartbroken to find out it was a Glioblastoma as it had not presented itself before.
“Some people when they get it notice things like it taking you longer to tie your shoe laces, or taking you longer to run a 5k, that sort of thing.”
Despite the successful surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the Beatson Cancer Centre, Jeana fell seriously ill again.
A further CT scan revealed the tumour had regrown and she was given the devastating news that it was terminal.
Jeana and her family were given
the heart-breaking news that she had around 18 months left to live.
The couple and their adult children – Danni, Ryan and Liam – were devastated by the revelation.
Construction worker Stephen added: “I don’t think any of the family stopped crying for about three days.
“She is completely irreplaceable to all of us. She’s always had a heart of gold and helps so many people through her job.
“Jeana is the glue that holds our family and extended families together, so she would be greatly missed by all of us, especially me and our children.
“If I talk too much about it, I will probably start crying but yeah, she would be irreplaceable.”
Jeana loves helping others and mentors people in her job with the Skills Academy, helping them gain work placements and skills and certification for employment.
The teacher continues to undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy to try and reduce the tumour as much as possible, but it won’t get rid of it.
Stephen, 42, added: “For Glioblastoma, they can do surgery if possible plus radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but there is really nothing else they can offer after that.”
The family are now trying to raise the money for Jeana to undergo Multimodal Immunotherapy treatment in Germany.
The treatment will extend Jeana’s life, as it will help her body learn to
control the tumour and strengthen the immune system, which would target new cancer cell growths.
They have held discussions with Dr Stefan Van Gool from the IOZK clinic in Cologne where the treatment would be carried out
The first two parts of the treatment costs £100,000.
“The idea behind this treatment is that is trains your body’s immune systems to recognise and attack the cancer so we are looking for some longevity,” Stephen said. “If the immunotherapy doesn’t go ahead, Jeana will be on borrowed time.”
A Gofundme page set up to raise the money to pay for the maths teacher’s treatment in Cologne has already raised more than £42,000.