Cancer mum's charity bid reaches halfway point

Terminally ill mum Polly Haydock with husband Dan, her mum Judith and children Darcy, 18, Emma, nine, and Alex, seven

The online appeal to support Polly Haydock is now just shy of halfway of her £410,000 target.

The money is being used to fund treatment in Germany for the mum of three, who is battling colorectal cancer.

Yesterday, she posted an update online to inform supporters of her progress, writing: “And so it begins again... today some detox infusions whilst I await a CT scan of my liver. With that they will be taking a biopsy of the metastasis to determine a genomic profile (so they know how best to get rid of certain cells).”

Polly, of Gadbury Fold, Atherton, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer last year and in July she was given the devastating news that she had just six months left to live.

The 37-year-old’s life may be prolonged by chemotherapy, but it would not be a cure.Instead, the appeal was launched to help pay for immunotherapy treatment in Germany, which she believes gives a better survival chance. She went to the Hallwang Clinic in November to begin it and said she was hopeful it was making a difference.

More than 1,000 people have made donations to the online fund-raising page.

The largest amount of money came from two special question-and-answer sessions held by comedian Peter Kay at Blackpool’s Opera House which raised a massive £148,352.

Other money has come from events such as fun days and a calendar featuring Leigh strongwomen plus individual donations. This week £4,750 was gifted from a raffle by Westhoughton Active Communities Organisation.

Once in remission, Polly plans to donate any money left to a similar fund for someone seeking treatment outside the UK. Meanhwile she spelt out just how costly her ordeal is in financial terms. She wrote: “The first stay back in December totalled €80k. As you can see, this is so very costly! I am so grateful for the donations that are helping to not only keep me alive, but rid me of this death sentence. You are all amazing, but unfortunately we still need more. I am due back in five weeks time and the donated money will have run out. I know my angels have lots of fund-raising plans coming up and I am looking forward to how they go. Nothing will beat the enormous donation by Peter Kay, but every little helps! Please, please keep the help coming, I want to live so desperately.”

To support the appeal, go to www.gofundme.com/my-children-need-their-mummy-2u9pnzg4