YOUNG mum, Jessica Smith, who has been diagnosed with stage 3b cervical cancer and given only a limited time to live, has launched Jess’ Army alongside friends and family, to raise money for her family’s future.
Jessica, aged 29, has two young children aged 8 and 5. Her journey began back in 2016 when her symptoms of blood spotting were not picked up by her GP.
She says it took a further two years and countless trips to the surgery for someone to realise the severity of her condition.
Jess has undergone intensive treatment including seven weeks of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. During this time, the cancer was also found and treated in her groin, vagina and lymphnodes.
In August this year, scans showed a suspicious nodule on her lung and she was rushed to a lung specialist in London, who removed the nodule for testing. Within two weeks she was hit with the devastating news that although some treatment she had endured had been successful, it wasn’t enough, and the cancer in the lymph nodes was spreading. Jess was then told it was terminal.
Her friend, Samantha Mosley, told Melksham News, “We have set up Jess’ Army, with a fundraising go fund me page, to go towards a nice weave for her hair and make her feel good, but the rest is about her family, about enjoying every last day with her family and making memories to last them a lifetime. So together, even just a few pounds each, we can help with making this really difficult time just that bit easier.
“Jess is such a caring young woman who has cared for her mum, who is also unwell, for many, many years and is always there to support others. I felt she really needed some support herself, anything I could do to help them as a family i was prepared to do.
“I hope that with some extra financial support she can really make this time with her kids the best and eliminate the worry of travelling costs to hospital for chemotherapy treatments. she has been so brave fighting cervical cancer for two years now and has always put on a smile and just got on with it. I felt it was time to show her how much we all care. We have already smashed the target of £1,000, but maybe we even could raise enough for her children’s future.”
To donate to Jessica’s family, visit https://www .gofundme.com/help-young-mum-jess-over come-cancer
To help other people who have been diagnosed with cancer, Jess, alongside her army, organised a Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 28th September at Casa restaurant in Melksham where many people turned up to support Jess and her family. Together, they raised £223.18 for the charity.
