Emma Bainbridge is fundraising so she can travel to Germany for experimental cancer treatment.
Emma Bainbridge with her partner Kevin(Image: Emma Bainbridge)
A Newton Aycliffe woman is determined to defy stage four cancer and “refuses to sit around and wait” for it to kill her. Instead, Emma Bainbridge, 42, is fundraising so she can “give it a shot” by continuing a innovative form of treatment in Germany.
Emma, who works for 3M in the County Durham town, told ChronicleLive how after an initial brush with cancer, she thought things were well until she began to feel “grotty” a couple of years on. It turned out that she had “ascites” which is when fluid builds up in masses around the body – and this indicated her cancer was back.
She said: “I was originally diagnosed with cervical cancer back in 2021. Then I had a radical hysterectomy in February 2022. I made a full recovery and we thought everything was ok. I was having regular check-ups – but I didn’t have further scans and I’m not sure how normal that is.
“But at the beginning of last year I had a few more symptoms. I just felt grotty, really, and I had some bleeding. I spoke to a GP and had a blood test – but had to wait four weeks.”
In that time she continued to feel unwell, and experienced worsening pain in her abdomen. Eventually, things got bad enough that a medic on the phone told her she had to head for A&E. She said: “I was on the phone and then they just told me to get to A&E as soon as they heard about the history of cancer. I sat in A&E for something like eight hours.
Emma Bainbridge during cancer treatment(Image: Emma Bainbridge)
“They diagnosed an ascites – and in my case that was the sign my cancer had returned.” Emma has since had further treatment on the NHS, but while this has stopped the ascites from developing and checked her cancer’s progress – as it stands she has been told there’s nothing doctors can do.
But she refused to give up and after getting second opinions within and outside of the health service, was inspired by the story of Laura Pearce, a British mum who was told she had weeks to live due to her advanced breast cancer diagnosis, but underwent a treatment called TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) under the care of Dr Thomas Vogl in Germany.
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She is still alive more than a year on. TACE is a recognised treatment for some liver cancers in this country and sees a targeted dose of chemotherapy given which is then “embolised” so that the drug stays in the tumour area for longer. It can be dangerous.
Emma explained that she did some research, checked out whether or not this treatment was legitimate, and then decided her only option was to go for it. She is fundraising to raise enough cash for four treatments, she has already had two. Each costs her around four thousands euros when travelling is included.
She added: “I’m only 42, I’m otherwise pretty well, I’m not going to accept a palliative diagnosis as it stands. I’m not trying to knock the NHS in any shape or form – and I know with this treatment there are no guarantees, but it’s something I have to give a shot.”
Emma also said that the Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group had been a great help to her. She said: “While I haven’t needed much, they’ve been in touch since my diagnosis last year just checking in on me and offering support and it was with their encouragement that I started the GoFundMe, otherwise I don’t think I would have.
To support Emma’s fundraiser, click here.
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