A Mother’s Fight: Seeking Treatment for Incurable Cancer to Watch Her Sons Grow Up
A Welsh mother of two is facing a heartbreaking battle with incurable bowel cancer, and is urgently fundraising for a potentially life-extending surgery available only privately in England. Carrie Brown, , received the devastating diagnosis in , after initially being diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in , just ten months after the birth of her son, Jaxon. Her eldest son, Maxwell, was only two years old at the time.
Carrie’s initial diagnosis was met with resilience. Following rounds of chemotherapy, and with the unwavering support of her husband, Michael, , she achieved remission. However, the relief was tragically short-lived. Symptoms resurfaced after Jaxon’s birth – including persistent vomiting, severe back pain, and changes in bowel habits – accompanied by an unexplained weight loss of four stone over ten months. Initial medical assessments, Carrie recounts, attributed her symptoms to postpartum recovery, delaying crucial diagnostic testing.
“I had already had a baby so I knew it wasn’t normal,” Carrie explained. “I did not have any faecal matter tests, no scans, all I was getting was painkillers for my back.” This delay in diagnosis ultimately contributed to the cancer’s progression.
Following admission to hospital in due to debilitating pain, Carrie underwent six weeks of treatment. Extensive testing revealed the cancer had returned, now classified as stage four, with the disease having spread to her peritoneum and within an ovarian cyst. The news was devastating.
“When they told me, I thought, you know, this must be it then – I’m going to die,” Carrie shared. “It’s the most horrific feeling.” Doctors delivered the difficult news that her cancer was incurable, though a potential treatment option exists – a complex procedure called HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy).
HIPEC is not currently available on the National Health Service (NHS) in Wales, and the cost of the surgery in England is approximately £75,000. Carrie and her family have launched a fundraising campaign to make this potentially life-saving treatment accessible.
HIPEC involves the surgical removal of visible tumors within the abdominal cavity, followed by the circulation of heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen. This process aims to destroy any remaining cancer cells and improve survival rates. Carrie has learned of patients who have experienced remission or significantly prolonged survival following HIPEC treatment.
“I have seen people have this surgery and it has cured their cancer, and for many it prolongs their life and allows them to manage the cancer like it were a chronic illness or disease,” she said. Her motivation is profoundly personal: she wants to be present for her sons, Maxwell and Jaxon, throughout their lives.
“I would simply do anything to watch my boys grow up. I want to see them do all the things we have spoken about and dreamt of. They are my entire world,” Carrie stated. “My family will tell you that all I ever wanted in life was to be a mother and a wife. My life is perfect — it’s everything I dreamed of and more.”
Carrie acknowledges the emotional toll of her diagnosis, but maintains a positive outlook, supported by her husband. “When you get told you are going to die, you can’t help but think of every single thing you are going to miss,” she said. “My husband is fantastic. If I am every having a bad day, or feeling down, he says ‘we will fight it, it’s not going to kill you’. He never lets me fester in those feelings.”
The family recognizes the profound impact this experience has had on their perspective. “After going through what we have been through as a family, you definitely start to look at life so differently. You have to make the most of every day.”
As of today, , the family’s GoFundMe campaign has raised over £51,000. Donations can be made here. Carrie emphasizes that every contribution, no matter how small, is deeply appreciated.
“I want to live. I have to. My babies need me.”
Those wishing to follow Carrie’s journey can find updates on her Instagram page, @carrie.kicking.cancers.ass.
