A Cheshire mum who has been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer has launched a fundraising campaign to fund new treatment.
Rachel Coram, 27, is hoping to undergo immunotherapy treatment that could give her the ‘greatest timeframe’ to spend with her family.
The mum of one says she recently received the ‘devastating news’ that the drugs company won’t fund the treatment for her – leaving her to raise the £100,000 cost herself.
She has now launched a GoFund Me campaign, named Unique Sense of Tumour, which has already raised more than £60,000 at the time of writing.
Rachel, from Poynton, says that ‘time has started to tick a little faster’ in the year since she was diagnosed with Advanced Sclerosing Fibromixoid Sarcoma.
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She was told that tumours had been found in her spine, breast, stomach, knee, neck, liver and lungs on Christmas Eve last year, Cheshire Live reports.
Rachel says she’s one of the only people in the UK with her type of Sarcoma cancer, meaning the treatment options available ‘haven’t changed in the last 40 years’.
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In her fundraising campaign, she writes: “As most of you will know I’m Rach. I was diagnosed with Advanced Sclerosing Fibromixoid Sarcoma in Dec 2020.
“I never wanted a ‘diagnosis time frame’ as I have always tried to as positive as possible… it’s nearly been a year of different types of treatments and medicines and time has started to tick a little faster.
“Sarcomas are so rare that treatment options for them haven’t changed in the last 40 years! My oncologist has explained to me many times that the chemotherapy options available won’t be very successful for my type of Sarcoma, however there is the option to try Immunotherapy.
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“He has had the discussion with the Royal Marsden and they have seen some positive results with this line of treatment.
“I however, recently received the devastating news that the drugs company will not fund immunotherapy as a treatment option for me.
“They have said that there are alternative (cheaper) routes I could explore first… When we all know those options won’t be as successful or give me the greatest timeframe & I obviously want a lifetime and more with my little family. The treatment to self fund is £100,000.
“I would be so forever grateful for any kind of help or donation to try get us to this goal & allow me to try this treatment to give me as long as I can or you never know, maybe even cure me.
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“Thank you, Rach, David and Indie x”
You can donate towards Rachel’s immunotherapy treatment at GoFundMe here.
Featured image: GoFundMe
Cheshire
An outdoor cinema is screening a Wicked sing-a-long this autumn
Thomas Melia
There’s an outdoor cinema screening a sing-along version of the global phenomenon Wicked later this year near just outside of Greater Manchester.
Arley Hall, in Cheshire, is hosting a very special screening of one of the biggest films of 2024, Wicked, where guests will be allowed to sing along during the film.
This one-off event will come as a relief to some fans of the movie-musical, as back when it was released, one attending was encouraged not to sing along as it may disrupt the film itself.
With a musical stacked with hits like ‘Popular’, ‘Dancing Through Life’ and obviously the huge number that is ‘Defying Gravity’, how could you not take a moment to test out the vocal cords?
Maybe we’ll see some mini Elphabas and Glindas showing up at the Wicked sing-a-long, Arley Hall.Sit back, relax, and defy some gravity.
Now, Arley Hall has teamed up with events and entertainment company Adventure Cinema for an outdoor experience that promises to be a fantastic, family-friendly day out watching Elphaba and Glinda on the big screen.
There are various ticket options available for this Wicked sing-along showing, which are all priced under a reasonable £30 range.
The standard ticket, which requires you to bring your own camping chair or blanket, is only £17.37, while the premium ticket (including a premium deck chair and prime position) costs £25.21.
Throughout the weekend, Adventure Cinema are making themselves comfy in Arley Hall‘s grounds, as they are set to play some huge movie titles and host even more wonderful events.
For instance, there will be an ‘Outdoor Cinema ExtrABBAganza’ courtesy of Mamma Mia!, a double-whammy thanks to ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘The Stick Man’ playing back to back as well as ‘Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration’ and ‘Pretty Woman’ too.
There’s an ExtrABBAganza coming to Arley Hall the same weekend.Just you, your blanket and a crowd of Wicked fans ready to sing their hearts out.
While we wait eagerly for the second part of the Wickedmovie-musicaladaptation, why not let yourself loose and see if you can out-sing the witches of Oz – Think I’ll leave the singing to Cynthia and Ariana.
The movie-musical became one of the backbones of pop culture in 2024, generating various quoted phrases and viral moments, including the unforgettable ‘Holding Space’ meme alongside many others.
Anyone looking to attend the Wicked sing-along at Arley Hall on Friday, 19 September from 6pm to 10:15pm can find all ticket prices and more information HERE.
Chester Zoo has been given £4m lottery funding to ‘transform’ the local environment
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has been awarded a £4 million grant of lottery funding to help ‘transform’ the local environment.
Merely months after being named the UK’s best zoo for the second year running, thanks to receiving more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from TripAdvisor, Chester Zoo has now been awarded a whopping £4 million – £4,073,372 in total – by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support its Networks for Nature initiative.
The Networks for Nature initiative is described as being an ‘ambitious project’ to restore wildlife habitats across the Cheshire and wider North West region.
The funds will be used to either create or restore 20 ponds, nearly 3,000 metres of hedgerow, and more than 100 hectares of habitat.
Chester Zoo has been given £4m lottery funding to ‘transform’ the local environment / Credit: Chester Zoo
4,500 students will also be able to take part in year-long school projects to improve their school grounds for wildlife and people through the grants – which have been made possible thanks to money raised by National Lottery players – while 90 young people will have the chance to be trained in an environmental leadership course.
On top of this, 14 new jobs will also be funded through the money, 18 community groups will be worked closely with to improve their outdoor spaces for natural heritage, and the zoo’s network of trained ‘Wildlife Champions’ will continue to be supported.
Hannah Brooks, who is the Senior Community Participation & Engagement Manager at Chester Zoo, said The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant was a ‘massive boost’ for the zoo’s community groups.
The funds’ll go towards an ‘ambitious project’ to restore wildlife habitats across the North West / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a charity, we’re so grateful that this funding has come through,” she commented.
“This is an exciting moment for the project, there has been a lot of work behind-the-scenes to bring people together and find out what these community groups need to take action to improve spaces for wildlife and people, and now, we will be able to support people to make real change across a vast landscape.
“This could really transform things for the environment in Cheshire and for the people who live here.
“Individual action can be difficult, but collectively we can inspire each other and provide a network that will keep having impact long into the future.”
Daisy Jackson -
27th December 2021 
