Gemma, 33, was given the devastating news that she has incurable cancer just weeks after giving birth to baby Samuel – now she needs £200,000 for treatment that will give her the vital chance she needs to make precious memories with her little boy while she canBaby Samuel was born in early February of this year, and the couple were thrilled with their ‘lively’ little one(Image: Handout)

The mother of a two-month-old baby is desperate for life-prolonging treatment after she was diagnosed with incurable cancer.

Gemma Small, 33, was given the devastating news that she has incurable cancer just weeks after giving birth to baby Samuel. The crushing diagnosis came after she battled cancer in the back of her eye in 2022, and was told by doctors that treatment had worked and that there was a low chance of the illness returning.

Now, Gemma and her partner, Ciaren Hughes, also aged 33, are raising £200,000 to pay for treatment that might extend Gemma’s life. They hope the treatment will give her the vital chance she needs to make precious memories with their little boy while she can.

Gemma was diagnosed with uveal melanoma three years ago after going to the opticians. At first, optometrists believed Gemma had a detached retina, until specialists uncovered that she was actually suffering from a cancer at the back of her eye.

The cancer diagnosis came as a huge blow for Gemma, who had already spent several years being diagnosed and struggling with other complex, debilitating conditions – including lupus. Doctors told the couple, who live in Horwich, that uveal melanoma is not normally a cancer that appears in someone so young.

Gemma, an early help worker, was sent for proton beam therapy. “Gemma had already been suffering from a lot of other conditions, including lupus, a blood condition, a broken hip. The last seven years have been really up and down with Covid-19 thrown in there as well.

“You can never be 100% sure, but the doctors believed the treatment had done the job and killed the cancer off,” said Gemma’s partner, Ciaren.

“But they said that if there’s one place it can come back, it’ll be the liver, so Gemma was sent for scans every six months.”

After hearing that Gemma was cancer-free, the couple were tentatively excited to start planning for the future, including beginning a family. “We gave it a while and made sure the scans were coming back fine,” said Ciaran. In spring of 2024, their dreams came true.

“We got the joyful news that we were expecting a baby boy,” continued the dad.

Gemma went for another scan just weeks after giving birth and the results showed a sinister shadow on the new mum’s liver(Image: Handout)

“Gemma even had a scan in between finding out we were expecting and before our son was born and there was nothing showing up.”

Baby Samuel was born in early February of this year, and the couple were thrilled with their ‘lively’ little one. Then, tragedy hit.

Gemma went for another scan just weeks after giving birth and the results showed a sinister shadow on the new mum’s liver.

“Gemma even left me at home for that scan and went on her own, we thought there’d be nothing,” explained devastated Ciaren. “We were just immediately filled with shock and dread.

“We were trying to tell ourselves it could be anything. But when a 33-year-old is found with something on their liver, it’s normally not something pleasant.”

Gemma was sent to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool for further scans and was told the melanoma had spread – and it is incurable(Image: Handout)

Gemma was sent to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool for further scans and was told the melanoma had spread – and it is incurable. The only option for the young family is to try and get treatments that can give them as much time together as possible.

But test results have left Gemma stuck, revealing that there are no viable treatments available on the NHS because of the complexities of her other long-term conditions, says the family. The ‘only option’ the family has been left with is to try and raise money for a private treatment at The Christie cancer hospital.

“I feel robbed,” says Ciaren. “We understand that this isn’t something that’s going to disappear.

“We can only get as much time as possible and as many memories as possible. And in that time, Gemma will likely be going through gruelling treatments and operations.”

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The family started a GoFundMe just over a week ago and, so far, the support has been ‘amazing’. Ciaren, a joiner by trade, says they have been left moved by the incredible generosity.

As of April 1, the fundraiser has topped £15,000. “We’ve been brought to tears by the response from everyone – including complete strangers,” shared Ciaren.

“We are really so grateful. People have offered donations but also offered us places to stay to get away from the stress and have a break.

“It’s been really difficult having a baby awake and crying when you’re both tired and drained from trying to plan what’s going to happen next. There’s not many days where we’re not sitting in appointments and gong back and forth to Liverpool.

“Our family has really come together to help us. And we really want to express how grateful we are, we want to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated.”

The crushing diagnosis came after Gemma battled a cancer in the back of her eye in 2022, and was told by doctors that treatment had worked and that there was a low chance of the illness returning(Image: Handout)

The family are pursuing direct liver treatment with chemotherapy at The Christie. But the cost of treatment is £46,000 per session, with four needed, totalling almost £200,000.

“Having to go private is not something we feel comfortable doing, but it’s something we’re going to have to do and ask people to help with,” said Ciaren. “We just want everyone to know how thankful we are to have their help.”

Any funds left over at the end of Gemma’s treatment will be donated to help other people access life-saving or life extending treatments too, and to research to find a cure, says the family.

Visit the family’s donation page here.