Find local news in Kent

Home   Sittingbourne   News   Article

Friends of terminally ill Cheryl Calver from Murston raise money so she can enjoy her final weeks

00:01, 29 March 2019

updated: 07:21, 29 March 2019

Money is being raised for a mum to enjoy what little time she has left with her family after being told she may have just weeks to live.

A GoFundMe page was set up on Friday, March 15 to raise £1,000 for 29-year-old Cheryl Calver who has stopped all treatment for bowel cancer.

An initial £1,000 target was reached in a weekend and recently. It has since been increasing and most recently stood at more than £2,500.

Cheryl Calver (7847466)
Cheryl Calver (7847466)

The mum-of-three and step mum to partner Lee Macey’s four children, of Wykeham Road, Murston, was originally diagnosed with the disease in 2015, aged 25, after it was mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome.

She had to have an abortion so she could have surgery and treatment and later went into remission in 2016 before giving birth to her youngest daughter, Penelope, now aged two.

But the following year she started to get pains again and was told cancer had returned, become more aggressive and spread.

The former assistant manager of Rising Stars Nursery in Brewery Road, Milton, was told about a month ago she will have to stop life-extending chemotherapy after she caught a chest infection, dashing hopes she may have months left.

Cheryl Calver, centre, with nine-year-old Daisy and six-year-old Eliot (7847472)
Cheryl Calver, centre, with nine-year-old Daisy and six-year-old Eliot (7847472)

Cash is being raised by friends, including Lianne Dmytruk, so she can make the most of the precious days left and tick things off a bucket list, including a trip to Harry Potter World in London on Wednesday, March 20.

The family also took part in a photo shoot on Friday, March 22, donated by Vickery Photography in Sittingbourne.

It is hoped plans can be put in place for a trip to Peppa Pig World.

Cheryl said: “Harry Potter World was really amazing, it was one of my dreams come true.

“The children are fully aware of the situation and what is going to be happening..." Cheryl Calver

“We had a lovely day on Friday with the photoshoot and we went to Little Potters after and got my hands printed.

“My mum and dad have been amazing with my friends. A massive thank you for everything they have done and I really appreciate them.

“The children are fully aware of the situation and what is going to be happening. We cannot give them an exact time.

“I have done memory boxes for all the children with some of my perfume, Christmas and birthday cards.

Cheryl Calver, left, with her mum, Sue Graham, who recently got married (7847474)
Cheryl Calver, left, with her mum, Sue Graham, who recently got married (7847474)

“To be honest I am not scared of dying. I have dealt with my emotions now - I am more concerned about the people I am leaving behind and how they are going to be.”

She has also been using an app to record her voice for the children to listen to on their phones in the future.

Lianne said: “She hoped that there would be months, she would be well enough to do things with the children and her partner.

“She went to her consultant and said she had to stop chemotherapy because she has got a chest infection and it was just making her feel more poorly.

Friends Lianne, left, and Cheryl, right (7847470)
Friends Lianne, left, and Cheryl, right (7847470)

“What would have been months is now only weeks. It is devastating and heartbreaking.

“Her son has been saying he does not want his mummy to go. Everyone has been really generous.

“Cheryl would not want any donations given to her but she was fine with me doing this because it raises awareness of it and you can get bowel cancer at any age.”

She also made sure she was able to be at her mum’s wedding on Saturday, March 2.

The former Sittingbourne Community College pupil, who is being treated at home by the Wisdom Hospice, is due to celebrate her 30th birthday in July.

To donate to the cause click here.

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More