Clare mother’s appeal for help in her battle against cancer

A GoFundMe campaign for a young Clare mother battling cancer has raised over €57,000.

Carine Heffernan (nee O’Loughlin) who is originally from Kilnaboy but now living in Gort has been battling bone cancer throughout her 30s.

On the fundraising page, Carine explained that she had first got the devastating news that she had osteosarcoma, cancer of the bone, in her right ankle, aged 30.

“Like anyone heading into their 30s I had my whole life ahead of me and instead I ended up having my leg amputated below the knee to save my life,” she wrote.

“I met my husband Stefan thereafter, who is the love of my life and even more amazingly I fell pregnant even though I was told I would never get pregnant due to the extensive treatment of chemo I received, but we defied the odds and James was born.”

Unfortunately the cancer returned some years later at the age of 38 and it had spread requiring another amputation further up her leg.

“Nothing was going to take me from my family or this world,” Carine wrote, “So it was an easy decision and I had my second amputation at the start of Covid.

“In the last two years I have trained myself how to walk again, raise our beautiful little boy with my husband and battle the day-to-day obstacles that life throws our way.

“This now leads me to today. Last month I was told my cancer had returned but surgery was not an option as it is in my pelvis and spine.

“The doctors are currently treating me with radiotherapy. In the coming weeks I will start chemo. Unfortunately, with this type of cancer that I have it won’t be enough.

“However, after extensive research, we and the doctors believe cell immunotherapy is an option I can try to help save my life.

“I want to live, grow old with my husband who I adore and most importantly watch my little boy grow up to become a wonderful man that I know he will one day be. But of course, this treatment comes with a price tag. Therefore, I am reaching out to you all to please kindly donate whatever you can afford.”

Contributions can be made through the GoFundMe page or people who don’t want to donate online can make a contribution by calling Sean Roche on 085 7885787 or James Neylon on  085 7526538.