Northamptonshire mum whose world ‘came grinding to a halt’ after cancer diagnosis raising funds for Macmillan

A Northamptonshire mum diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer is hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning for her community to thank the charity for its support.

Louise Fordham, from Flore, went into hospital with suspected gallstones in February and found out she had advanced bowel cancer which had spread to her liver.

The 45-year-old had surgery to remove a large section of her bowel in March, followed by chemotherapy. She is currently waiting on scan results to find out if she can have surgery on her liver.

Despite her gruelling treatment schedule, Louise was determined to do something to thank Macmillan for the support she has received at Northampton General Hospital since her diagnosis.

The mum-of-two said: “My world all came to a grinding halt. I was due to be completing my teacher training and had huge plans for my husband’s 50th. This all changed.

“Since the beginning of my journey the Macmillan services have been invaluable, from being on the end of the phone to providing resources and having a nurse that I can speak to.

“The whole team I’ve been lucky to meet is absolutely amazing and without their work there would be less support for us.”

Louise, who is married with two teenage daughters, initially struggled with the emotional impact of the diagnosis.

She added: “All of a sudden you’re in a new world and you feel very alone.

“My Macmillan nurse helped with the emotional and psychological side of things which is huge. The support was always there, from pointing me in the right direction when there were any little hiccups to answering my questions after consultant appointments.

“Everything is very serious, but we can have a giggle too. Humour has been very important for me. Being able to talk to her about how I’m feeling, it’s like a huge burden is lifted.”

On October 1, Louise will host her Macmillan coffee morning at the Millennium Hall in Flore, from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

She continued: “I wanted Macmillan to have that money to help someone else in this situation. Being diagnosed with cancer can feel very lonely at times and people can feel lonely for all sorts of reasons. So this is about bringing people together for a cup of tea and some cake.”

If you can’t attend on the day, you can still support Louise’s coffee morning by making a donation online here.

Samantha Jones Macmillan fundraising manager for Northamptonshire added: “Last year people hosted Coffee Mornings across Northamptonshire and raised over £163,000. That’s an incredible amount of money which could pay for a Macmillan Nurse for over 5000 hours, or provide a Macmillan Grant for over 400 people.

“Whether you host a Coffee Morning or join in, every penny raised helps Macmillan do whatever it takes for people living with cancer.”

The coffee morning is a national fundraiser and anyone can get involved by hosting their own event. This year, Macmillan Coffee Morning is on Friday September 30.

There is information online including recipes and hosting ideas. To find out more and sign up to host a Macmillan Coffee Morning today, visit www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee.