Desborough vicar completes London to Paris cycle to support congregation member with £50,000 cancer treatment
A Desborough vicar has completed a gruelling cycle from London to Paris to help fund life-saving care for a family in her congregation.
Hannah Jeffrey has raised nearly £4,300 after completing the three-day bike ride between the two captial cities.
Smashing her initial £2,000 target, Hannah is helping to fund cancer treatment for Daisy who is not eligible for NHS care.
The 58-year-old, a farmer from Uganda, was visiting her daughter Diana, a member of the St Giles congregation, when she was diagnosed with cancer and unable to return home.
Diana explained that cyst-like swellings under Daisy’s armpits due to ingrown hairs, a common issue for women with Afro-textured hair, had developed into cancer – with symptoms, including hot flashes and tingling, initially dismissed as menopause.
Then over Christmas, during a visit to support her pregnant daughter, Daisy was rushed to hospital after collapsing and diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
The primary tumour measured around 100mm by 30mm and had already spread to her lymph nodes. Doctors warned that without urgent treatment, she was at serious risk of a painful decline.
Fearing that medical care back home was not reliable enough to help, Diana and her siblings decided their mum would be better off receiving treatment in the UK – at a cost more than £50,000.
Daisy’s treatment journey began in late February. She is receiving chemotherapy to shrink the tumour enough for surgery, followed by radiotherapy and ongoing injections over the next year and a half.
Diana said: “This journey is not just emotionally draining, it is also financially overwhelming.
“My sister, brother and I are doing everything we can to support her but the cost of life-saving care far exceeds our means. We want nothing more than for mum to live — to be there for every precious moment with her new grandchild and future grandchildren.”
Hannah is calling on the Desborough community to support Daisy and her fundraising efforts.
She added: “If this story touches your heart too, please sponsor me as I try to help Daisy receive the treatment she desperately needs.
Together we can make a difference; every contribution counts towards giving this incredible woman another chance at life.”
Visit www.justgiving.com and search ‘Hannah cycling 4 Daisy’, to donate.