Son helps raise £3.5k for mum battling cancer

William Young with his mum Shelley

A HEARTBROKEN son is raising money to make memories with his mum after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Shelley Young, from Beacon Lough, Gateshead, discovered she had a brain tumour after suffering from bad headaches.

The 46-year-old underwent surgery to remove it and tests were carried out to see if it was cancerous.

Earlier this month, the mother-of-five was given the devastating news that she had stage four brain cancer and three years left to live. She is now undergoing chemotherapy in the hope of slowing down the growth of the cancer.

Her son William, 18, said: “When we went to the Freeman Hospital, which specialises in cancer, they said it’s the most brutal form of brain cancer – stage four. They told her she had 36 months.

“I was there when she got the news. My heart just sank, it was horrible. She just burst out crying. It was just the worst feeling ever.”

Shelley, who was a carer for people with dementia, is also mum to Michael, 23, Nicole, 14, Hollie, 12, and Ellie, 11. She visited A&E at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QE) in Gateshead last month when the headache she was suffering from become unbearable.

William, who is studying Carpentry and Joinery at Gateshead College, said:

“It started off with her having headaches and sleeping all the time. She wasn’t getting checked out at all. It kept going on and on until we had to go to the QE. She was there seven hours. “They eventually told her she had a tumour. They didn’t know if it was cancerous until they took it out and had it tested. They didn’t remove it all. If they took it all out it would have impacted her speech.”

On March 5, William decided to set up a Go Fund Me page in the hope of raising as much money as possible for his mum. He was left stunned when more than £3,500 was donated to the fundraising page.

William said: “I want to thank the people who have donated. She’s over the moon.

“I set it up so I can prove to her she’s a special woman and to make as many memories as possible. I didn’t think it would be possible to raise so much, I’m just flabbergasted. We plan on going on a few trips to trying to get all the family together.”

Shelley, who is still recovering from brain surgery, said she is proud of William and her other four children.

She added: “I didn’t realise how many friends I had! The support is incredible. We’ve sat down and discussed what would be brilliant to get rid of the sad parts and bring in the happy and fun parts.”

William has urged anyone who may have unusual symptoms to visit their doctor. He said: “Just get checked out. You don’t know what it’s going to be. Cancer is real and it does kill families.”

I set it up so I can prove to her she’s a special woman and to make as many memories as possible