Bedford mum in £100k appeal for life-prolonging cancer treatment as doctors say it's her best hope

A 29-year-old Bedford mum is hoping to raise a staggering £100,000 for specialist life-prolonging cancer treatment after doctors told her it was her best hope.

Darina Gray – described by friends as “the most generous and kind person you’ll ever meet” and mother of two boys aged under five – has been battling breast cancer since April 2019.

After first being diagnosed only eight weeks after the birth of her second child at the age of 26, Darina underwent a double mastectomy, intense chemotherapy, and multiple surgeries before being given the all-clear in December 2019.

But heartbreakingly, a year ago, Darina was given the devastating news her cancer had returned. This time it had spread to her liver, spine, lymph nodes, and bones. Secondary breast cancer is incurable with limited resources and treatment lines available – and her best hope was a treatment that would keep it under control.

Her best hope is a rare life-prolonging treatment called Enhertu, which although FDA-approved in America has yet to get the thumbs up here, therefore the cost is not covered by the NHS or private health care.

The starting cost of Enhertu is £100,000. The hospital has agreed to allow Darina to pay on a three-weekly basis, meaning she needs to raise £11,000 every three weeks to continue the life-prolonging treatment.

Darina is being helped through the treatment by her husband, Johnny, and her two young boys Marley, five, and Cobi, four, who are always keen to look after their mummy. The last 12 months have been tough for the family with Darina suffering several allergic reactions to treatment, multi trips to A&E, a Sepsis scare, and emergency surgery on her collapsed gallbladder.

If you want to donate to Darina visit her Go Fund Me page

And not only is Darina fighting against her own cancer, but she’s also helping other families by starting her own charity Gray to Sunny Day

The charity helps families impacted by cancer create new memories with days out and photo shoots.