Devastated family in £120k fundraiser plea for “crucial” cancer treatment – as mum-of-four is told she has months to live

A DEVASTATED family has launched a JustGiving plea to raise a hefty £120,000 for “crucial” treatment after their mum was diagnosed with stage four cancer – and told she has months to live.

Susan Bulmer was first diagnosed with ocular melanoma cancer at just 35-years-old in 2009, which led to her left eye being removed, leaving the mum-of-four permanently blind on one side.

Tragically, the now-48-year-old healthcare worker has been told 13 years on that the cancer has returned to her liver – rapidly progressing to stage four and giving her a devastating 6-12 months to live.

After Susan’s liver failed and rejected immunotherapy, the heartbroken family from Sandown, Isle of Wight are now desperately trying to raise enough money for private courses of chemosaturation.

Having first received the devastating diagnosis in October 2022, Susan and family searched endlessly for medication to help, including immunotherapy at Southampton General Hospital.

However, to their dismay, Susan’s liver began to reject the immunotherapy and started to fail, so she was prescribed steroids and immunosuppressants to combat the damage.

The family’s last resort is now chemosaturation – a treatment not currently available on the NHS.

Susan needs at least £80,000 to start the treatment by early May and give her a good chance at battling the cancer.

The treatment costs a hefty £120,000 for just three rounds of treatment, however, the family believe that Susan may need six – costing up to £240,000 altogether.

Doting daughter Emma Bulmer, 28, has now set up a JustGiving campaign in a plea to raise enough money for the treatment.

She wrote in the description: “My beautiful, kind, lovely mum has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, metastatic ocular melanoma.

“In 2009, at just 35-years-old, my mum found out she had ocular melanoma in her left eye. She had her whole eye removed, leaving her completely blind in her left eye.

“We were told that if the cancer were to return it would most likely go to her liver and this happens in 50% of people that get ocular melanoma.

“Thirteen years later, in October 2022, my mum had her yearly liver scan. Something that she was told was no longer necessary but she was persistent with doctors she still wanted to have.

“Tragically, the scan showed that the melanoma my mum was diagnosed with 13 years ago has returned and metastasised to her liver. This is considered stage four, incurable cancer.

“Almost all cancer treatments are completely ineffective in metastatic ocular melanoma.

“My mum was offered immunotherapy at Southampton General Hospital with the aim of trying to control the tumours in order to give my mum more time.

“Sadly, as it does with many other patients, the immunotherapy made her very unwell and her liver was unable to cope and started to fail.

“My mum has been told she cannot have any more immunotherapy treatment and there are no other available treatment options.

“She was treated with steroids and immunosuppressants to try and counteract the damage the immunotherapy has done to her liver.

“Thankfully, she is feeling a lot better now that her liver is starting to recover from the immunotherapy, however the cancer continues to grow rapidly.

“To look at my mum, you would never know what she is going through – she is 48-years-old and she is as healthy and active as she has been her whole life.

“My mum has so much life to live but is being told there is nothing that can be done to help her.

“Doctors have told her that she has just 6-12 months to live.

“There is a revolutionary treatment, chemosaturation, that has been shown to be effective in treating metastatic ocular melanoma but it is not available on the NHS.

“The cost of the treatment is a staggering £240,000 and will need to be self-funded.

“We need a minimum of £120,000 for three rounds of treatment but we need to have £80,000 of this in the next 6 weeks (the first week of May 2023) to start two rounds of treatment ASAP before the cancer progresses too far.

“Then, depending on how the treatment goes we are looking at needing up to a further three rounds. Each round costs £40,000 and it’s possible that my mum may need six rounds in total so £240,000.

“We would be so incredibly grateful if you are able to support us in funding this treatment for my mum.

“Anyone that knows my mum knows what a beautiful, kind, and lovely person she is – She is only 48-years-old.

“She is the most amazing mum to me, my sister, my two teenage brothers, and our three little dogs that adore her so much, we need her here with us.

“I can’t imagine life without my mum. This is our biggest hope of keeping her here with us where she belongs.”

Speaking to Emma today she said: “My mum is understandably absolutely devastated. She doesn’t want to die.

“She has so much life to live, she is only 48-years-old. She’s been given just 6-12 months to live unless we can get this treatment.

“As a family we’re now spending this precious time trying to desperately find the funds for the treatment which will cost between £120,000 and £240,000, depending on how many rounds of chemosaturation my mum needs.

“If we were to raise the funds my mum would be getting treated at Spire Southampton Hospital which is the world’s leading centre for chemosaturation for ocular melanoma liver metastases.

“Patients travel from all over the world to have the procedure there.

“It’s so devastating and frustrating that my mum lives on the Isle of Wight, just across the Solent, and this treatment that could potentially save her life and would almost definitely give her many more years of life can only be given to her if she pays for it.

“After this devastating news, my mum who has looked after her health and worked hard her entire life (as a dementia carer all throughout the pandemic and in primary schools before that) is being left to desperately raise funds herself in order to save her life.

“It’s cruel that this amazing treatment for those with this rare and aggressive form of cancer is not available on the NHS.”

At the time of writing, the fundraiser currently has £6,805. To donate you can visit this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p8544w6