Woman raising money for terminally-ill friend to get overseas therapy

A WARRINGTON store boss is aiming to raise cash to help a terminally-ill mum get revolutionary therapy overseas.Kim Aldred, assistant manager at the Card Factory in the town’s Golden Square Shopping Centre, is donning her running shoes to take part in the Colour Dye 5k race on April 18.
And every step of the way 46-year-old Kim will be thinking of her friend, mum-of-four Vicky Lowe, who is fighting bone cancer.
The extent of Vicky’s condition was discovered soon after the birth of her daughter Charlie, who is now 23 months old.
Kim aims to raise as much as she can in sponsorship cash from family and friends to help pay for 39-year-old Vicky to travel to Germany for innovative hyperthermia therapy.
The technique raises the body temperature, which has a liquefying effect on cancerous tumours.
Although used quite widely on the Continent, the procedure is still on trial in the UK.
Vicky, who recently moved from Bewsey to Colwyn Bay in North Wales, has three other children, university student Lucy, 18, trainee accountant Christopher, 20, and schoolboy Billy, 14, who suffers from spina bifida.
The children and a small army of supporters have rallied round to help her raise the £15,000 needed for the treatment plus complementary therapies at the Klinik Marinus in Brannenburg, Upper Bavaria.
So far, they are just over a third of the way towards the target figure thanks to a host of fundraising events, such as fun days, back in Warrington.
Now her friend Kim, who lives in Latchford, is also dashing to her aid with her 5k challenge at Manchester’s Platt Fields Park.
Kim said: “I’ve known Vicky for nearly 30 years and over the years she’s become a very good friend.
“We first met when I worked behind the counter of a newsagents shop in Bewsey, where we both lived, and she was one of the newspaper delivery girls.
“Over the years we’ve kept in touch and I was shattered to discover what she is going through with cancer.
“Vicky was originally diagnosed with cervical cancer at the end of July 2013, just after her daughter Charlie, who will be two in May, was born.
“She nearly lost Charlie because of the tumour and they actually had to go through it to help her to be born.
“She was treated for that tumour and given the all-clear but then she had a further scan and was told last May they had found a shadow on her pelvic bone.
“They also found the tumour in her back and recently it’s spread into her rib cage.
“She’s been having radiotherapy and chemotherapy but she’s been told it’s terminal.
“Vicky found out about the treatment available in Germany and wants to go over there to have it.
“She’s a lovely girl and a real fighter. She’s staying determined and upbeat about all this and I just what to do all I can to help her.”
Kim added: “Although I’ve never done anything like this before, I’ll be running the Colour Dye 5k in Manchester with my 22-year-old daughter Megan Odea, who lives with me in Latchford.
“We’re both looking forward to it as it should be a lot of fun – I believe they throw paint on you while you’re going round!
“I haven’t got a target figure in mind – I just want to raise as much money as I can for my friend Vicky.”
On her fundraising page at gofundme.com Vicky gives a moving description of her cancer “nightmare”.
She says: “My nightmare started when I was 31 weeks pregnant with my daughter.
“Warrington hospital presumed my waters had broken. My girl was delivered by c-section.
“After my six week check I was still poorly, I was sent for an investigation at Halton and it turned out to be cancer. I had a tumour in my cervix.
“I had 25 sessions of radiotherapy and five sessions of chemotherapy, I then had three sessions of internal radiotherapy.
“In January 2014 the results from my scan showed my tumour had shrunk to 11mms.
“In April I had scan that showed I had shadows on the bone but the cervical cancer had gone.
“Further scans showed that I also had a tumour in my back tissue and bone cancer to my pelvic bone.
“After six months of nasty chemotherapy I lost my hair. I suffered but I looked after my children.
“I have now been told the tumours in my body have shrunk but my bone cancer has spread to my rib.”
Vicky ends her defiant message by saying: “I have decided to fight. I need to look after my kids, not get poorly. I will not give up.”
To make a donation to her appeal, visit Vicky’s page at: http://www.gofundme.com/Vmnmt or sponsor Kim’s run by popping into Card Factory in Golden Square.
Picture caption: Kim Aldred of Card Factory in Golden Square will be taking part in the Colour Dye Race to raise money to support her friend Vicky Lowe.