Online plea to raise €100k for Drimnagh mother with rare cancer

By Maurice Garvey

A MOTHER battling a rare form of cancer has been “overwhelmed” by a roller-coaster of emotions, after an online appeal was launched this week to raise €100,000 for treatment in the UK.

Claire Graham (38), from Drimnagh, and her husband Declan, have had a tough time of it lately.

Three months after Claire was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2016, their two-year-old son Harley was diagnosed with retinoblastoma and subsequently had to have his eye removed.

Before Claire was supposed to start radiotherapy at the end of 2016, she started having headaches and, after being referred for an MRI, it was discovered the cancer had spread to her brain.

After meeting with other breast cancer patients in online forums, Claire’s story struck a chord with London woman Michelle Trapiche.

Michelle knows Claire from their online discussions, and as a mother and former cancer patient, she said Claire’s story “resonated with me.”

“Chemo can be very debilitating and when you have a young kid going through the same thing, it is tough. I told her she has to make it for Harley. She told me the first memory she has of her mother was when she was four, and didn’t want the same for Harley.”

Michelle continued: “I couldn’t bear the thought of being without my daughter Katya, and I went to UK charity Team Verrico. They were so moved by her story that they organised to bring her over. The drug pembrolizumab is her only hope. Although it is licensed in the UK and in Northern Ireland, it is not licensed in the Republic unless you have lung cancer. You can use it, but it is not funded.”

Claire said they would move to Belfast if they could but their house is in negative equity.

Discovering the drug wasn’t available here was a body blow but that she has found the strength to keep fighting thanks to Harley.

“Getting down about it isn’t going to get me anywhere,” she said.

“I never think ‘why me’ because thousands undergo treatment for cancer every year. I actually feel blessed because I’ve had so much support.”

As of this morning, the Just Giving fund had raised over €42k.

To donate click HERE