'It's completely restored my faith in humankind': Northampton cancer patient will keep her house after readers pledge thousands

Mandy Orton, 55, of Abington was featured on the Chron’s front page back in February after she could not afford to pay her bills due to leaving her self-employed job and undergoing cancer treatment. But in a desperate bid to raise £6,000 in arrear payments, before her home became repossessed, she set up a public fundraising page and says she has been touched by human kindness after readers pledged what they could to help.She said: “I think 226 people donated, I don't know whether I know them or not but there were certainly people on there that I never met - that was just unbelievable.

"It’s completely restored my faith in humankind.

"I was in a very bad place, I could not see a way out of it, now I can just breathe."

The mum-of-two thought she had successfully beaten breast cancer in 2011 before undergoing a biopsy in 2017, which revealed that she contracted the illness again and immediately began chemotherapy after being told she was stage 3.

Mandy finished her chemotherapy in September 2017 before undergoing a mastectomy and reconstruction operation in October, with a four-month recovery period.

Now the former NHS nurse, who has supported rape victims for 30 years, is now applying for jobs.

She said: "On my part what I now need is a job to enable me to make the payments in the future.

"So I will continue to look for work and I am confident that I will be working by the six month period.

"The Crowdfunding was not easy for me to do but I'm glad I did as I can't begin to imagine what would have happened without your support. I'd have been homeless for sure and I can't imagine how I'd have coped with that. So I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and because of your kindness I now have hope."