More than €80,000 raised to help Cork mother of three access cancer treatment

More than €80,000 was raised in a matter of days to help to purchase a new targeted cancer treatment for a Cork mother of three who has been living with cancer for the past six years.

The money, which was raised through a Gofundme page, will be used to purchase a brand new drug that specifically targets the type of cancer that Laura Swan has been receiving chemotherapy for.

The Passage West woman said she has incurable cancer and was told in 2016 by her surgeon she had roughly eight months to a year to live.

“I have had over 200 chemo infusions, which is an awful lot of one human body and my blood count is very low. Your blood count has to be a certain level to have chemo, so I can’t receive treatment at the moment.” 

Laura, who has three children, Tadhg, 23, Eabha, 22 and Ewan, 16, said she is overwhelmed by the kindness and selflessness that has been shown to her.

“I feel like my heart is going to burst. I never anticipated that we would raise over €80,000 in less than three days, it is a testament to the fantastic community that I live in."

Laura, who is a born and bred Passage West woman, where she lives now with her three children and dog Boonie, explained the money will go towards a new targeted tablet that will hopefully inhibit the growth of her tumour.

The drug, which is used to treat IDH1 positive Cholangiocarcinoma patients, was approved by the FDA (U.S Food and Drug Administration) last August, however it is yet to be approved by the EMA (European Medicines Agency) so the only option for Laura to access the treatment is to buy it at €15,000 a month.

The mother of three who is under the care of Dr Derek Power and his team at Mercy University Hospital said she has to take the new drug for six months and then get a scan to gauge its effectiveness.

“I can’t express how grateful I am. The local community has been so supportive, my family are steeped in the community and it’s great to be a part of this type of society.” One of the hardest things that Laura has had to do throughout her cancer treatment is to reach out and ask for help.

“It's tough for me to ask for help, it is not something that is my forte, but I have no choice, I want to prolong my life.” 

Laura hopes that in six months, her bone marrow will have recovered from the break and she will be able to receive chemotherapy again.

The mother of three said it is her life and she has no option but to try.

“I’m not an angry person and I think I have taught my kids that anger is a wasted emotion, but they are frustrated by the situation and frustrated for me. They have been amazing these past six years.” 

Chatting about her medical team, Laura lauded Dr Derek Power and all the nurses that cared for her over the past six years.

“I was really looked after. They were just amazing.” 

To donate to Laura’s fundraiser, click here.