A former Ayrshire catwalk model who has lost her leg from a rare cancer called sarcoma is desperate to see more research into the disease.
Jacqui Napier, formerly McCloy, was told by medics it would be ‘life or limb’ after her osteosarcoma returned following a brave battle since being pregnant with her son.
The mum-of-one from Ayr had managed to keep her cancer at bay for just over a year when she was dealt two devastating blows that is had come back in her lungs and leg.
Now after losing her independence she is determined to raise awareness of sarcoma which is more common in children and often misdiagnosed as ‘growing pains’.
Jacqui, 45, who stays with husband Gareth Napier, 47, and their three-year-old son Lewis, told Ayrshire Live : “It was a real shocker, I was due to go on a charity walk.
“Two months later I was left with one leg.”
Jacqui noticed her leg had swollen after surgery on her lungs to remove a tumour discovered during her three monthly scans.
She said: “My oncologist took one look at it and said it had to come off, they described it as ‘life or limb’, when they said that I just wanted rid of it.
“I was terrified, I knew it was going to be life changing, there are so many things I knew I would never be able to do. I always wanted to go roller blading with my son – I knew that wasn’t going to be possible.”
Jacqui, who once graced fashion shows across the world, was first diagnosed with sarcoma four days after she gave birth to her boy in 2018 and was rushed into theatre for a limb-saving operation.
Medics inserted metal plates inside her leg in a bid to save it and she endured gruelling rounds of chemotherapy which has had a lasting impact on her health.
She told Ayrshire Live last year how she hoped cancer wouldn’t return – but just weeks later she relapsed.
Jacqui, a former waitress at the Chestnut Hotel, now wants to help save other sarcoma sufferers.
She has started a stamp collecting mission in the hope she can raise vital funds for the under researched cancer with 5,300 people in the UK diagnosed with each year.
Jacqui said: “You have cancers out there which are heavily researched but with sarcoma your options are chemotherapy, limb saving or amputation – that’s as good as it gets.
“Many survivors only have the one leg or one arm.
“For me and so many others, there is no end to this. It’s all about getting to 10 years cancer free, most don’t make it past five.”
“People might just chuck stamps away but it could be saving lives.
“One kilo of stamps can fund one hour of research into sarcoma.”
Jacqui dreams of walking again and is working tirelessly with physios to bounce back.
Jacqui said: “I was incredibly independent but its been taken away from me.
“Things that take five minutes now take 25.
“To be able to get up and take a few steps - it means the world.
“It means I can prepare the vegetables that night for dinner.”
Jacqui says her son Lewis has taken to her prosthetic leg after she worried for weeks how he would react.
She added: “Kids are resilient, he just says ‘mummies got a bionic leg’, he loves my prosthetic, it gives me such a boost.
“I don’t want any sympathy, I’m cancer free and thankful and keep pushing through everyday.”
If you would like to get involved with stamp collecting for sarcoma awareness you can find out more here.
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