Imagine the heartbreak of knowing your time is limited, especially when your greatest wish is to witness your children's milestones. That's the stark reality for Michelle Gemmell, a 39-year-old mother from Bellshill, Scotland, who is battling terminal cancer and desperately seeking a way to see her daughter start high school. But here's where it gets controversial... access to potentially life-extending treatment is often dictated by geography and finances.
Michelle's journey took a devastating turn when, after initially overcoming secondary breast cancer, the illness returned with a vengeance in June 2024. The news that it was now terminal came as a crushing blow during Hogmanay. "At first I couldn’t understand," Michelle recounts. "I had just been on holiday, dancing with my kids and in seconds everything was taken away from me." The impact reverberated through her family, with her mother wishing she could take the burden away, and even the medical staff, who had become like family, were deeply affected.
After being told that no further treatment options were available to her in the UK, Michelle refused to give up. Driven by her love for her three daughters – Zara, Paige, and Sophia – she began researching alternative treatments. This led her to Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE), a procedure available in Germany that directly targets tumors. While TACE is not a cure, it offers the hope of controlling the cancer's growth and granting Michelle precious additional months with her children. And this is the part most people miss... that even a few extra months can mean the world to a family facing such a difficult situation.
"I’ve still got a bit of fight in me yet – I have to for my girls," Michelle declares. Her oldest daughter is about to embark on her high school journey, a milestone Michelle desperately wants to witness. Her middle daughter is passionate about dancing and gymnastics, with upcoming shows that Michelle longs to attend. And her youngest, her "wee baby," is becoming increasingly clingy, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Secondary breast cancer, also known as metastatic or stage 4 breast cancer, is the primary cause of death from this disease. Currently, there is no cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms. It impacts approximately 61,000 individuals in the UK, including around 4,000 in Scotland. Michelle is acutely aware that the TACE treatment, which, notably, is available on the NHS in Scotland for liver cancer, won't reverse the cancer's progression. However, the prospect of extra time with her family is an invaluable “blessing.”
Each trip to Frankfurt for the TACE procedure costs around £5,000, covering the treatment, travel, and accommodation for two. Michelle may require up to ten sessions, bringing the total cost to £50,000. To help Michelle access this potentially life-extending treatment and create lasting memories with her family, a fundraising campaign has been launched. The response has been overwhelming, with over £30,000 raised in a short period. You can find the fundraiser here (https://urldefense.com/v3/https://www.gofundme.com/f/life-saving-treatment-for-michelle;!!F0Stn7g!GxmQ3aHus77KGGAbgpWtmGJ-ukSHVS3DTLKgrj3YZZtUyBsx2JrxVKDtgIMpxRIUxAt7u4QsN2dk7LOPSXeph-8R6ZosM$).
But here's a thought: should access to potentially life-extending treatments be dependent on fundraising? Is it fair that the availability of a treatment on the NHS varies depending on the type of cancer? What are your thoughts on this? Share your opinions in the comments below.
