A Coleraine family has been left feeling extremely grateful for the support they have received after their mum faced a shock breast cancer diagnosis.
The Dickson family created a fundraising page to help their mum Andrea with living costs after the 51-year-old was told she had an aggressive type of cancer earlier this month.
The mum-of-three had just started her dream job but now has to take a step back due to her illness.
Over £3,500 has already been raised, with some money also going to charity to help others suffering from cancer.
The GoFundMe page reads: “It’s been a whirlwind week since Andrea received her breast cancer diagnosis. Andrea has a particularly aggressive type of cancer known as HER2+ and her treatment needs to match up to this.
“In two weeks, Andrea starts the first of six chemotherapy cycles. After this, she needs surgery to remove the tumour and her lymph nodes, followed by radiation therapy and a hormone treatment for five years or more.
The Dicksons – Conor, Andrew, Shannon, Jimmy and Andrea
(Image: Submitted)
“Andrea will be unable to work for between six months to one year because of the intensity of her cancer treatment.
“Unfortunately, financial support for people in her situation is extremely poor – something we were surprised to learn. The last thing anyone with a cancer diagnosis should need to think about is how to pay their rent, bills and food during the long road of treatment ahead.
“I am raising money for Andrea, my wonderful mum, to cover her basic living costs so that she can focus all her energy on surviving cancer.
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“Andrea is very well known in her local community in Coleraine. For the last 18 years she worked for Harpurs Hill Children & Family Centre providing low-cost childcare for families of all backgrounds.
“Recently, she started her dream job as a Family Support Worker within the same organisation, something she has to step back from during treatment. Everyone who knows her loves her. She is a source of positivity, joy and she sacrifices a lot to look after her family. Now it is our turn.”
A number of challenges will be running throughout August in the Co Derry town and you can can get involved, taking part as an individual, as a group or both.
Andrea Dickson
(Image: Submitted)
They include walking 300,000 steps during the month, swimming 100 lengths of a pool five times, a relay marathon and more – all challenges can be seen HERE.
Andrea’s daughter Shannon told Be that her mum had a few mammograms over the past year, but nothing was found.
She said: “She got a call for her routine screen because she is over 50 and they caught it, it was really quite lucky – but we were shocked, she didn’t know she had a lump.
“If people could donate it would help so much because we are quite a low income family, we don’t have savings in the bank, or lots of spare cash.
Andrea with her sister, Hayley, daughter, Andrea and mum, Maisie
(Image: Submitted)
“Mum works full time, she always has but she works for charity… and after a couple of months she is only entitled to statutory sick pay.”
The 25-year-old who currently lives in Edinburgh said her mum will probably be off work for around a year.
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“She is quite stressed enough with everything going on to have to think about how she is going to pay her bills.
“It is quite a big deal for me to start fundraising because mum is quite shy and embarrassed about it but if we didn’t raise money somehow I would have to move home and get a job at home. Not that she would have wanted me to do that for her, that was kind of the only other option.
Andrea and her grandson Jackson
(Image: Submitted)
“We didn’t expect people to donate as much as they have so soon, we are so so grateful and shocked.
“We are getting to the stage that some of the money raised can go to charity as well which is important to mum.
“Anyone that knows her, knows that she does so much for other people, I always say she wouldn’t have a life if it wasn’t for doing it for other people.
“She helps us so much. I’ve been ill before and mum dropped everything and moved over to Edinburgh for a couple of months to help, and she just wouldn’t think twice about that,” Shannon added.
To donate to the fundraiser for Andrea, CLICK HERE.
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