CancerCare campaign: Practice nurse has to live day by day and stay brave and focused

Kelly Morgan, 36, of Russell Drive, Torrisholme, has been told by doctors that if her brain tumour grows ‘it’s game over.’

But the practice nurse said: “I have to live day by day and have to stay brave and focused. I try and just get on with my life but it is always there in the back of my mind – will I ever see my kids get married or see my grandchildren?”

Kelly has sought solace with CancerCare and has been receiving counselling ever since she was diagnosed.

She said: “Homestart referred me to CancerCare so I went for some counselling. The counsellor talks about anything and everything,

“CancerCare are amazing, second to none. I go for counselling every Tuesday and by the weekend I know I’m ready to go back and ready to talk.

“CancerCare is not just for cancer, they will help anyone with any long-term condition and the care is invaluable.

“Anyone can access that care. A lot of people do a lot for St John’s Hospice but CancerCare have done the work beforehand.

“I do think CancerCare gets left out. I’ve sent loads of my patients from work there.”

Kelly works at the Westgate Medical Practice and is married to Keith, 37.

The couple have three children Kieran, 18, Callum, seven and Chloe, four.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2013.

She said: “I had had headaches for a while, I just used to sleep all day and night.

“I was taken to hospital and they started treating me for meningitis. Then they found there was fluid on my brain and I was rushed to the Royal Preston Hospital.

“They did an MRI scan and discovered I had a brain tumour.They got me to theatre to try and remove the tumour but they couldn’t get to it as I would have been left a vegetable.

“They put a shunt in to bypass the tumour and also a tube in my head down my neck into my tummy to drain the fluid.

“I was in hospital for two weeks. The tumour is monitored regularly to see if it is growing and if it is the consultant said it’s game over because they can’t get to it.

“It was horrendous at the time. I had to wear nappies, had half my hair shaved off and my right side was paralysed. I had to learn to walk again.

“I had to have 10 months off work.The kids know I have a brain tumour but they don’t understand as they are too young, except for my son Kieran, who is 18.

“You just feel you are on death row because if it grows there is nothing they can do.

“I have check-ups every six months. It is stable now.I now have epilepsy which means my right side goes paralysed and I just fall to the floor.

“It’s been so long since I was diagnosed that if people can’t see anything wrong with you, they forget you have a brain tumour.

“I get really tired and knackered and have to sleep a lot but I need to work financially. My husband has supported me throughout my illness. The whole family can go for counselling if they want.

“It’s a ticking time bomb but if it doesn’t grow I could live with it.”

The Lancaster Guardian CancerCare Counts campaign aims to raise cash for CancerCare and awareness of the charity.

There are many ways you can help including by making a donation. Text CCAR31 to 70070 with the amount you wish to donate – £1-£5 or £10 – or donate at cancercare.org.uk/donate . Alternatively you can 
send a cheque made payable to CancerCare North Lancashire & South Lakeland.

If you wish to contact CancerCare call 01524 381820, email [email protected], send a message on Facebook at ‘CancerCareCharity’ or tweet to @CancerCarelocal.

Have a look at our slideshow of the cross bay walk in aid of CancerCare

See what an eight-year-old boy did to raise money for CancerCare

Find out how twins got involved in fundraising for CancerCare