A mum who thought she had a cold was given a devastating diagnoses after she began struggling to breathe. Katie Froggatt's symptoms did not seem too concerning at the start, when she first felt unwell in summer 2021.
But after her breathing became a real difficulty, the 39-year-old was told by doctors she had an aggressive tumour. Having began surgery, Katie was told her cancer was terminal just before Christmas.
She was given a heartbreaking prognosis of less than a year to live, the Liverpool Echo reports. Yet Katie, from Southport, Merseyside, now has fresh hope after discovering her cancer has been shrinking.
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And she could be helped further by treatment in Germany if she can secure the funding she needs. Katie, who is married to Steven and mum of two-year-old Myla, said: "After an awful six months being delivered the news just before Christmas that my cancer had spread to my lungs and was now stage four terminal with six to 12 months to live, my cancer is chemotherapy resistant and the chemo here in the UK will kill me before it touches the cancer, immunotherapy was my only option.
"Unfortunately the immunotherapy made me really ill and bed bound and had devastating effects on me and my cancer and it actually ramped the growth and nearly killed me in the making. I was bed bound from February to May, was two stone lighter and could barely look after Myla, never mind pick her up, bath her or put her to bed.
"On Friday I was told by the NHS there is nothing more they can do for me, but finally I have found a world renowned professor and treatment in Frankfurt that actually works against my cancer and it’s currently shrinking. I have had significant reduction and now Professor Vogl is now speaking about stabilising my cancer with monthly visits to Frankfurt and he is confident he can get a grip of this.
"It’s the first time since being diagnosed nearly two years ago that someone has confidently said we can do this. These trips cost £5,000 a month on top of the £1,200 a week I have been spending at an amazing alternate treatment clinic that has honestly been the only thing that’s kept me alive."
Family and friends have since raised thousands of pounds to fund treatment for her, through a series of events. The next will be the Katie Froggatt Fundraising Festival, which will take place at Victoria Park in Southport on Saturday, July 15.
The special event is being organised by Mark Pickup, owner of Southport TV and Digital Media Boutique. Tickets can be purchased for the festival or donations made online here.
Mark is also looking for some volunteers for various parts of the festival or if you provide a service that can help him make this event the best it can be. Katie added: "I just wanted to take this time to thank everybody that has donated and all the beautiful people that put together all of the amazing fundraisers because of each and everyone of you I am still here now.
"I can’t put into words how grateful me and my family are for everybody’s efforts and generosity. I wanted to take this time, now I am finally feeling stronger, to thank you all."
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