Mum, 41, is saved from terminal cervical cancer by her ex-husband’s NEW WIFE
Nicola Hitchen was told just months ago that she was going to die from stage four illness - but her ex's wife Claire has been leading a fundraising effort
A MUM who was told she was going to die of cancer has been saved by her ex-husband’s new wife.
Nicola Hitchen was told four months ago by doctors there was nothing they could do to treat her stage four cervical cancer.
But the brave mum-of-two refused to give up and after a massive fundraising effort organised by Claire Hitchen — her ex’s wife — she flew to Turkey for pioneering chemotherapy therapy.
Now her aggressive tumour has almost disappeared and the family are trying to raise a further £50,000 to complete her life saving treatment.
The 41-year-old, from Chester, has already had five 10-day sessions at the ground breaking chemotherapy centre in Istanbul costing £80,000.
The fundraising bid is led by Claire, the wife of Nicola’s ex-husband Andy, who said: “This is not an option – the boys Joe and Jake need their mum and she deserves the chance to watch them grow into men and have their own families.”
Nicola, who works as a primary school administrator, said: “I’m completely overwhelmed – everyone especially Claire has been amazing."
She was originally admitted to hospital in March after suffering with abdominal pains and was diagnosed with a pelvic abscess and sepsis.
But later tests also revealed something more sinister – a tumour in her cervix.
Doctors were unable to treat the cancer until the infection had cleared, which allowed the disease to leap from a treatable stage two to a supposedly untreatable stage four in just seven weeks.
“I was very scared when they told me,” said Nicola. “It was such a shock. It proved really difficult to get rid of the abscess and, by the time the infection had gone I was told it was too late to treat the cancer.”
She added: “Getting a diagnosis like that you can respond in one of two ways. Either you accept this is what’s happening and sort your affairs out – or you start looking at other options. The first wasn’t an option for me.”
Nicola and her family began by trying alternative medicines and supplements before spotting an oncology centre in Istanbul called ChemoThermia which offers a pioneering combination of treatments.
By this time the large tumour in Nicola's abdomen was causing her excruciating pain and she was heavily reliant on painkillers.
“The pain was unbelievable – like chronic labour pains but worse,” she said. “I was either in agony or like a zombie on the painkillers.”
I’m completely overwhelmed – everyone especially Claire has been amazing
Nicola Hitchen
She booked into the centre in Istanbul on July 23 and began her first 10-day intensive treatment programme, which involved chemotherapy and heat treatments designed to break down the tumour.
She was also placed on a special diet and spent time in an oxygen chamber to help her body heal and recover.
“In 10 days, I went from being on six or seven different painkillers a day to not needing any,” said Nicola. It was amazing.”
She’s now had five sessions since July and finished the last one on Thursday last week.
The main tumour in her abdomen is almost gone and others in her liver and spine have shrunk considerably.
A secondary tumour in her lungs has also completely disappeared.
Nicola said she needs another four bouts of treatment, which will cost around £50,000.
“It's going really well so far and I'm feeling optimistic about it,” she said.
“I've spoken to other patients at the centre and it's worked for them so I have every reason to stay positive.”
She said she has been touched by the support from her parents and sons, Joseph, 14, and Jacob, 12, as well as her ex-husband Andy, who recovered from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and his wife Claire.
“It's brought us all even closer together,” said Nicola. “The support I've been given has been phenomenal, not just from my family but from complete strangers too.”
A JustGiving page has already raised more than £7,000 towards the new target and a number of events are being planned to help raise cash.
To help Nicola pay for her treatment, .
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