Cancer mum's plea: let me see Christmas

Natalie Chesher, from New England, Peterborough, was diagnosed with germ cell cancer on February 24 this year, having had a operation to remove an ovarian cyst that had been inside her since 2008.

Natalie (28), who has two young daughters, Brooke (8) and Lilli-Mae (4,) has been told she now needs pembrolizumab immunotherapy - a strong form of treatment, which is the young family’s last hope of allowing her to survive until Christmas.

However, the treatment is not available on the NHS, and the family need to raise £80,000 to pay for it.

She has already undergone courses of high strength chemotherapy, but despite initial successes, the cancer came back.

Natalie’s fiancé, Richie Taylor (28), said: “If she does not have the treatment, there will be tablets that will be able to stop the cancer’s growth.

“But she will eventually become immune to them. There is nothing else they can do.

“We have been told it is a very aggressive form of cancer.”

Since the diagnosis, Natalie has spent a number of weeks in hospital.

Richie, who has been her partner for nine years, said the treatment could give the pair a chance to walk down the aisle.
He said: “It has been terrible. Natalie has been in hospital for a long time, and the kids had not seen their mum for weeks.

“They have had time off school as a result of what has happened. “Lilli-Mae does not really understand what is happening, and Brooke just holds it all in.

“We have been together for nine years, and have been engaged for five years.

“We were going to get married in 2017.
“I still want to do that - we are hoping to do that after Christmas.”

The couple have been given help from charity Harris & Trotter Clients Charitable Trust, and they will be carrying out fundraising events to help pay for the crucial treatment.

To help the family raise the money visit www.gofundme.com/natliesfundraise