Teacher facing second battle with brain tumour

Dec 3 2008 By Hannah Webster

A young primary school teacher from Staines is facing her second battle with a brain tumour in three years, and must raise £100,000 for life-saving treatment.

Melissa Huggins, 27, of Bremer Road, who teaches at St Ignatius Primary School, Sunbury, has been told the cancer surgeons removed from her brain in December 2005 has returned.

Due to the position of the tumour, which is on her spine, doctors here can only give her a low dosage of radiotherapy and the cancer is growing at such a rate it will eventually kill her.

Her only hope is to receive a more concentrated type of proton radiotherapy to kill the tumour, but the treatment is only available in America.

Her family, parents Lorraine, 60 and Mark, 62, and sister, Katrina, 30, all from Ashford, have now put their weight and wallets behind the St Ignatius Primary School, Sunbury, teacher to raise the £100,000 needed to send her to America.

Mark said: "Katrina said she doesn't know what she would do if anything happens to Melissa, because they are so close. I tend to think positively, we need to raise this money."

They have raised about £30,000 so far, but they only have a matter of months to complete the massive task.

Melissa said she's been overwhelmed by the fundraising on her behalf, adding: "Everyone has been brilliant, they have all been running round me. We are putting all our thoughts into fundraising, that is where we are channelling all our emotions.

"Living with something inside my head is horrible. I don’t know if I have any symptoms or if I am getting symptoms just because I know it’s there, it makes me paranoid."

Melissa, who was due to marry James Pegram, 29, next year, and her sister, Katrina, 30, also engaged to marry in January 2010, have put their wedding funds towards the appeal.

She said: "We are not doing it to feel sorry for ourselves. We just have the money and we can’t be looking at spending £1,000 on flowers and expecting everyone to put their hands in their pockets for me."

Because of the position of the tumour on her spine, Melissa's brain can only cope with one dose of radiotherapy before other parts of her brain affecting her breathing, heartbeat and nervous system are damaged. Without treatment she would die.

Her best chance is proton therapy, a treatment available at Boston Hospital in America, which will involve an operation to beam the tumour directly with sub-atomic particles, killing the cancer without affecting any other parts of her brain.

The proton therapy treatment is available only in very few parts of the world because the machine used during the operation, which adapts the rays of radiotherapy according to the shape of the specific tumour, costs £100million.

Her father, Mark, of Queens Walk, Ashford, said he had been ‘blown away’ by people’s generosity, as they have managed to raise about £30,000 so far.

EVENTS FOR MELISSA'S FIGHTING FUND

Saturday December 6: Abaya NightClub, Weybridge

Doors open from 8pm, entry is £10 each. For more details go to www.abaya-club.co.uk

Saturday December 13: Hazelwood Golf Club, Sunbury

Christmas auction and dinner from 8pm, tickets are £20. For more details go to www.hazelwoodgolf.com

Saturday 13 December: Virgin Active gym, Staines

A 12 hour charity run from 8am to 8pm. Email james@melissasfightingfund.com or katrina@melissasfightingfund.com if you would like to sponsor, participate or support this gruelling challenge.

Friday 19 December: Kingston Town Centre

A fancy dress night. Money will be collected throughout the streets of Kingston from 8pm onwards.

Saturday 20 December: Haydens Hair Flair in Staines.

All haircuts, styling and pampering will be offered for a minimum donation of £5 or £10 (depending on your request).

Visit the salon from 1pm- 7pm.

Wednesday December 24: The White Horse Pub, Sunbury

Christmas raffle with prizes including a Playstation3, theatre vouchers and sporting memorabilia. Tickets cost £1 each and are available from Friday (5) by emailing james@melissasfightingfund.com or katrina@melissasfightingfund.com.

Group Skydive is being organised for March 2009, check www.melissasfightingfund.co.uk for further updates.