Mum's fight to raise thousands for private hysterectomy after cancer battle
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Sam Harrison, who lives in Sunderland, has faced rounds of gruelling treatment and tests in the eight years since she was first diagnosed with cancer – and now wants to look forward to many more years with her children.
While she is currently free from cancer of the womb and bladder, she also had cancerous cells removed from her cervix following a smear test with more treatment lined up for the future.
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Hide AdAnd at 39, Sam has now made the difficult decision to undergo a hysterectomy privately – a procedure which she says will drastically reduce her risk of cancer and alleviate the pain and worry she feels daily.
The mum-of-three told the Echo: “If I could have it done privately the chances of the cancer coming back would be massively reduced.
"I have had ill health for around 10 years and am still suffering now from treatment.”
A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the womb, carried out to treat health problems affecting the female reproductive system.
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Hide AdSam, who said her doctors are currently “reluctant” to refer her for such a major operation, understands that the procedure will cost her around £5,000 privately, prompting her to launch the fundraiser.
"I thought I could reach out to people who know what it’s like to be suffering in pain,” she continued.
"I have never done anything like this before. When you are going through this, it just feels like it’s one thing after another. It’s getting too much.”
Launched just days ago, the fundraiser has made more than £200 so far.
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Hide AdIn recent years, Sam explained she has just gotten over one ailment or round of treatment before having to undergo another.
She fears doctors could find something else wrong in future, which may mean her children being left without their mum.
In her view, the hysterectomy will reduce the change of that.
Sam added on her fundraising page: “Growing up with them means the world to me.”
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Hide AdFor more information about Sam’s fundraiser, and to make a donation, visit her GoFundMe page here.