A Houghton-le-Spring mum is hoping to complete a "bucket list" of day trips and adventures with her 10-year-old daughter after receiving a shocking cancer diagnosis.
Rebecca Robson, 33, discovered changes to her breast in May - and a trip to the GP saw her given the heartbreaking news that she has breast cancer. Her illness is the aggressive HER2 form of breast cancer and doctors believe she now also has cancer nodules in her lungs.
She's been told it is incurable - though treatments can keep the disease at bay. Rebecca - a dental nurse who works in Hetton - told ChronicleLive : "At the moment I have just finished a run of chemotherapy, that was three weeks ago and now I'm waiting for another CT scan. This collection is a really moving thing - it's obviously for both of us but for me it's mostly for Poppy. Whatever we get will be for her.
Read more: NHS shares cancer warning signs you need to watch out for - including tummy trouble
"It'll be for days out and things for her. Because we don't know a lot about the future and when I'll need more chemotherapy it'll be mostly for us to go on trips together. We want to go to London and to go back to Longleat Safari Park. We aren't thinking any further than that at this point.
"It's been so moving and it's definitely made such a difference. I didn't have life insurance and I've still had all my bills to pay too while I've been sick too."
Rebecca paid tribute to daughter Poppy, who, though like anyone in this situation "sometimes has her bad days", has been "incredibly strong", she said. She added that it was important for women to be aware that changes to their breasts should be checked out - and that it's not all about lumps.
She said: "I was diagnosed in May. I did have a breast lump but really the reason I went to the GP was more of a visible thing, there was a change in appearance. They really knew by eye it wasn't good and was cancer. People often think about lumps but don't think how it could be other changes.
I have lung nodules on both lungs, but at the minute they are so tiny they cannot even biopsy them.
"HER2 is a really aggressive. a number of years ago there wasn't much they could do but now there are more treatments coming out, new kinds of chemotherapy and you just have to keep going and go onto the next one."
The Collection Pot fundraiser was set up by Clare Hindmarch, a dentist who works with Rebecca at the Hetton dental practice. She wrote: "Earlier this year, one of our work family's youngest members, our dental nurse Rebecca, received the devastating diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. 'Incurable' is a very tough word to digest when you are 33 years old.
"Rebecca is resiliently fighting through an aggressive chemotherapy regime and still faces the future knowing she has an incurable cancer, whilst being mum to 10 year old Poppy. We really want to help Rebecca and Poppy make some valuable memories and have some much needed fun and relaxation!"
The dental practice is currently also running a range of fundraising ideas for Rebecca and Poppy, including a "guess the name of the tooth fairy" competition. In January, there will be a half-marathon walk around the Hetton area, too.
To donate, visit: collectionpot.com/pot/3042371/
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