Family of Lancaster carer launches fundraising campaign for cancer treatment not available on the NHS

In 2019, Elle started to experience severe pain when walking.

Eventually she was diagnosed as having small cell cancer in her cervix which had spread to her liver, adrenal gland and the bones of her pelvis.

Elle and her family were told that the cancer was rare, aggressive and incurable.

She has also suffered from Dystonia, a muscle cramping condition, but had overcome this to work as a much loved carer in a residential home.

She is known for the time she spends laughing and joking with residents and for connecting with them on a human level, often going in on her day off to check on anyone she was worried about.

Her family have now launched a crowdfunding campaign, which has seen her brother, Stevie Wiltshire, undertaking a gruelling 214km, 4,810m uphill cycling challenge to help raise funds for the life saving treatment for his sister.

It has been calculated that by cycling over 20 times up the steep incline to the Jubilee Tower, Stevie will have completed a challenge equal to cycling up Mont Blanc.

He did this over the second weekend in June.

Following her diagnosis, Elle underwent several rounds of chemotherapy, and overcame many challenges during this time, including surviving a case of sepsis in the initial stages of treatment.

She was bed bound for three months as the cancer had fractured bones in her pelvis.

Her father Peter said: "Despite the difficulties, Elle continued to have a positive outlook and never stopped making the nurses and other hospital patients and ourselves laugh."

Elle has injections of a drug called Denusomab which has healed her pelvic bones and now she can walk again.

Peter said: "Both professionals and ourselves have been delighted at Elle's miraculous progress and this was why her latest news was particularly devastating.

"On the eve of her 40th birthday we received the news that the tumours in her liver and adrenal gland had not responded to the chemotherapy and that the cancer would shortly become life threatening.

"She has had chemotherapy in the Oncology Unit at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary but was told in early April that the treatment was no longer working in her liver.

"The therapy had been successful in other areas and Elle is more than grateful to the local oncology team.

"Elle’s only chance seemed to be a treatment called Immunotherapy where the body’s immune system is programmed to attack cancer cells.

"This treatment is not generally available on the NHS, for Elle’s type of cancer."

Elle and her family now need to find £8,000 every three weeks for the treatment which may have to continue for the rest of her life.

They say they have enough savings for the first three or so treatments but this money will soon be gone, and Elle will depend on this treatment to stay alive.

Peter added: “Elle has responded well to the first two rounds of treatment which are administered at the Rutherford Cancer Centre in Northumberland.”

"Stevie has had a good response to his challenge so far and has been amazed by the generosity of Lancaster people."

Stevie said: “I would like to thank everyone for their incredible support.

"This is very encouraging, but we still have a long way to go”.

Elle’s family have now set up a crowd funding site to raise funds for her continuing treatment and to keep her well wishers and supporters updated as to her progress. The link is www.gofundme.com/f/team-elle

Future

Elle's only hope is now Immunotherapy.

This is available from the private Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newcastle.

It costs £7,860 every three weeks for the foreseeable future, which with associated other medical costs will come to about £136,000 for the first year.

This therapy is not yet funded by the NHS, but is commonplace in some other countries.

Peter said he is hoping that she will find success with this treatment, and pave the way for others to obtain it in the UK. The funding situation is thus becoming urgent.

He added: "Elle dreams of being well enough to be able to care for people as she has done all her adult life, this may be just a dream, but it is something to hang on to.

"Most days Elle passes the Care Home where she used to work and waves to the lovely residents who have sent cards and say that they miss her.

"Elle's strong faith has helped her to be resilient throughout.

"Elle would like to have the opportunity to share good times and make more happy memories with her young nieces when the lockdown is over.

"All money we raise will go towards Elle's medical treatment and any surplus will be shared between Cancer Research and St John's Hospice in Lancaster.