A Reading Buses driver tells her story on her battle with cancer, and raising the funds for treatment
Alex Shepherd is a 22-year-old bus driver for Reading Buses. “As I celebrate my 22nd birthday, I'm trying to beat a very rare and aggressive cancer,” she says.
Alex reveals treatment for the cancer is not funded by the NHS, and with a six-figure cost of £114,00 a year, Alex has turned to donations to help fund it.
She says: “The costs we face for this treatment are terrifying, but when the only other option is giving up, I'm determined to keep myself alive. I've decided to keep positive; I will be one of the lucky ones.”
Alex, who has been a Reading Buses driver for two years, is being supported by her mother Anna, who also works at the Great Knollys Street depot as a driver.
Alex’s story
In April, Alex noticed increasing pain in her stomach with bloating and looking seven months pregnant. After having an MRI, doctors discovered a cyst attached to her ovary.
In May, she had the cyst and ovary removed. They weighed and measured at 5kg/30cm. After the operation, the doctors told Alex everything went well and the cyst looked ok. But the cyst had ruptured during the surgery and her lymph nodes were enlarged.
She says: "After testing, doctors told me that the cyst was cancerous.
“I was told I had an extremely rare and aggressive strain that came with a ‘strikingly poor’ prognosis.
“When I Googled the diagnosis, it said that I'd very likely die within the year. Those who survived beyond that didn't fare too much better; it was also likely that this cancer would return.”
Alex is currently undergoing chemotherapy, but has been in contact with women that have the same condition where they've done chemotherapy and unfortunately it has only slowed it down slightly.
She adds: "Immunotherapy has proved to work wonders for my cancer, but unfortunately isn't available on the NHS. If chemo doesn't work then immunotherapy will be the plan B and my only hope.
"But only if I get the funds to cover treatment. The costs for this treatment are terrifying and a cost no one could prepare for in a lifetime. But I am reaching out to anyone that can help me."
‘Here’s the catch’
She says: “Because I have such a 'niche' cancer, this treatment isn't available on the NHS. Despite clear evidence that it might work, the drugs I need are not licensed in the UK for ovarian cancer. If I had skin cancer I'd be getting this treatment for free. So, I have no choice but to pay for the drug.”
Reading Buses employees are already jumping to Anna’s aid with many pledging money on the website, and the canteen staff are planning a coffee morning to help raise money.
- To read more of Alex’s story and to donate, visit: gofundme.com/alex039s-journey
