Charity fundraiser now needs help to prolong her own life

A woman with incurable cancer who has raised thousands of pounds to help others is now fundraising to try to prolong her own life.

Lorraine Wilby has ocular cancer which has spread to her liver and the only treatment which could help is currently not available on the NHS.

The 56-year-old said she wanted to live longer to be able to walk her daughter down the aisle later this year.

She needs to raise £120,000 to pay for treatment privately.

The grandmother, from Ossett, has raised more than £10,000 for charity over the years by taking part in countless runs and challenges.

During the first coronavirus lockdown, she dressed as a superhero and visited children on their birthdays.

Since being told in April her cancer had spread, she has been having immunotherapy treatment but the lesions have grown.

"It's a very, very aggressive cancer," she said.

"I was initially given six to nine months if the treatment doesn't work and two to three years if it does.

"I've just turned 56 so it's highly unlikely I'm going to make my 60th birthday."

She said the chemosaturation treatment would not save her life but give her longer to be with her daughter and to see her grandson grow.

Mrs Wilby is hoping to raise enough to pay for the procedure, which costs £40,000 per session and needs to be repeated several times.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises the NHS on which treatments should be available, is expected to issue new guidance on the use of chemosaturation in April.

Jo Gumbs, national director for charity OcuMel UK, said data showed the treatment improved survival rates.

"NICE have to review the data now and they're in the process of doing so but for patients like Lorraine they're going to have difficulties accessing the treatment and with an aggressive cancer time is of the essence."

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