A woman who thought she was fighting off a summer cold - but in fact was told had cancer and had less than 12 months to live. Katie Froggatt is desperately trying to raise money for potentially life saving treatment in Germany after finding that following treatment the tumour is shrinking.
The 39-year-old said that what initally she thought was a cold started in summer 2021 - and ended up with her hardly being able to breathe at all. She had surgery but the NHS has told her that it is chemotherapy resistant, the Echo reported.
However she has also been undergoing expensive treatment in Germany - and it has given her new hope. She 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.”
Katie, from Stockport who is married to Steven and mum of two-year-old Myla added: ““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.”
Her family have organised a series of fundraising events to try and pay for the huge cost of the treatment. The next will be the Katie Froggatt Fundraising Festival, which will take place at Victoria Park in Southport on Saturday, July 15.
Tickets can be purchased for the festival or donations made via this link: skiddle.com/e/36376885
