Friends and advocates Pamela Kirne and Laura Morgan have joined forces to organize a heartfelt fundraiser in support of their dear friend, Hayley, a resilient single mother who is facing a rare and challenging battle against Hairy Cell Leukaemia.
Hayley’s journey began in June 2023 when she was initially diagnosed with uterine cancer, leading to an urgent total hysterectomy just five weeks ago. However, her health took a severe downturn following the surgery, leaving her weaker with each passing day. A referral to a haematologist and specialized testing revealed the devastating diagnosis of Hairy Cell Leukaemia.
Hairy Cell Leukaemia is an exceedingly rare form of cancer, affecting only approximately 700 people each year. This type of leukaemia disrupts the blood and bone marrow, hindering the production of healthy blood cells and causing an overabundance of dysfunctional B lymphocytes. Without treatment, the Leukaemia cells continue to proliferate, preventing the growth of vital, healthy cells.
Specialists in Hairy Cell Leukaemia are limited due to its rarity, and the urgency of Hayley’s situation has led her friends to explore private medical treatment options abroad. While London’s Royal Marsden Hospital offers specialized care, NHS waiting times have necessitated looking further afield, including the USA, UAE, and India. Unfortunately, the costs for this treatment range from £20,000 to £40,000, not including travel expenses.
To break down the costs, they encompass repeated bone marrow aspirations, biopsies, molecular tests, and chemotherapy drugs. Hayley will require treatments such as 2CDA and G-Cor, along with blood product support and frequent transfusions of red cells and platelets. Daily blood sampling, ongoing investigations, possible splenectomy, and potential admissions add to the financial burden.
Hayley is not only a fighter but a dedicated single mother to her ten-year-old son, Lorenzo, who is her world. Her cancer diagnosis has brought immense physical and emotional challenges, including exhaustion, bone pain, splenic discomfort, weight loss, frequent infections, bruising, bleeding, and dizziness due to anaemia, low platelets, and neutrophils.
Hayley’s employment situation, where she doesn’t receive pay when she can’t work, has compounded the stress. This fundraiser aims to raise funds for medical treatment abroad, easing her financial burdens, covering travel expenses, medical bills, treatments, and therapy, and providing crucial support for Hayley and her son during this incredibly trying time.
The campaign can be accessed at GoFundMe Link. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-and-my-son-through-my-cancer-journey
Despite being a private person, Hayley has chosen to share her journey publicly to garner support, advice, and alternative therapy options. Her resilience and dedication to giving her son as normal a life as possible throughout this ordeal serve as an inspiration to all who know her.
Pamela Kirne and Laura Morgan express their deepest gratitude to those who have already shared, donated, and offered assistance. The outpouring of support means the world to Hayley, her son, and all those who care about her.