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A YOUNG woman with a rare cancer has launched a heartfelt appeal to help keep her family together.
Adele Stevens is battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.
The 22-year-old, who works at Toad Hall Nursery, is due to travel to the United States to receive nine weeks of proton beam radiotherapy. And, like all good mums, she wants her daughter and partner to be with her during the treatment. In an appeal she said that “being without my daughter isn’t an option for me”.
She needs to raise £5,000 to keep the family together and cover living expenses.
As we went to press, she had raised almost half the money and Wokingham Gossip Girls are helping to organise a fundraising event next week to help out.
Members of the Facebook group are holding a curry night in a Sunninghill restaurant on Thursday, November 19 in a bid to help reach the £5,000 total.
Wokingham Gossip Girls member Jo Berman told The Wokingham Paper: “I was on Wokingham Gossip Girls on Facebook and kept seeing messages about ‘I need a hairdresser urgently’, or, ‘I’m organising a holiday – it’s a nightmare’. Adele’s message came among all this rubbish that we worry about that really isn’t important, but this is important.
“Her message was heart-breaking, she was embarrassed to ask, but was desperate. She needs accommodation for nine weeks for her daughter to go to America with her. She told me ‘being without my daughter isn’t an option for me.’”
“Wokingham Gossip Girls have helped to share my [fundraising] page and donated generous amounts,” explained Ms Stevens.
“Some women are helping to fund raise: Jo is doing a curry night and another lady is trying to put together a raffle to raise money.
“I will be going to the States at the end of January after my first rounds of chemotherapy and hoping all goes well.”
Fellow Gossip Girl Caroline Burwood added: “I’ve never met Adele, we’ve only spoken on Facebook. Her treatment is covered but she needs living costs for her partner and daughter. You need your loved ones with you at a time like this.”
Ms Berman said that the curry night has seen a big response from the Gossip Girls and the restaurant is playing its part.
“They said we could take our own cakes for desert,” said Ms Berman. “I asked if any of the Gossip Girls could make cakes. I got an unbelievable response. I’ve got cakes coming out of my ears! People are offering help left, right and centre.
“There’s an outpouring of help out there, it’s really lovely.”
Adele has a Just Giving webpage, which accepts donations. To help, log on to www.gofundme.com/6y5ds4cw
