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HomeLeadWoman, 38, given months to live after she 'lost appetite'

Woman, 38, given months to live after she ‘lost appetite’

A man is desperately appealing for help following his fiancée’s diagnosis with aggressive, stage 4 breast cancer. Laura Wharam, 38, started experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite in January and later developed jaundice.

After rushing to the hospital, the London couple, who initially thought it may be appendicitis, were faced with the grave reality. Sadly, Laura’s condition is terminal, as cancer has spread through her body.

Her partner Jake Watt, a 35-year-old visual merchandiser, has now set up a fundraiser to support Laura, saying: “It was the worst possible news. It’s such a shock to the system. I’ve cried every day since the diagnosis.”

Describing their ordeal, he added: “It’s been such a whirlwind. Laura’s cancer is incurable, but she’s having chemotherapy to try to slow it down. Doctors have said the worst case scenario is a couple months, the best case scenario is a couple years.

“So there’s really no uncertainty at the moment. I’m someone who likes to have things planned out months in advance, but now it’s all day-by-day. Laura and I haven’t yet talked about everything moving forwards.

“But she’s been so strong. She’s from Yorkshire – and Northern girls are built differently. She’s only 5ft. I always say I don’t know how they fit so much strong in her.”

Jake mentioned that using GoFundMe was “a last resort”. He confessed: “I’m really not good with asking people for anything. It’s probably a pride thing – the stupid male ego and all.

“But it became a last resort because I want to make sure Laura doesn’t go without. She can’t work at the moment and London is expensive. We also have to start preparing for end-of-life care. We just want to alleviate that financial burden.”

So far, Jake and Laura have collected £8,000 of their £10,000 target. Jake sees the contributions as a “testament” to Laura.

He shared: “We’ve been completely blown away by the support and love. It’s so appreciated. But it’s what Laura deserves.

“I feel it’s a testament to her and how amazing she is. She’s fun, bubbly, and has always been someone who likes helping others. But we are so grateful. Anything anyone can do is just so appreciated.”

Jake and Laura began their relationship in 2015 and marked their 10-year anniversary on Valentine’s Day. They got engaged in 2021, but tragically, that same year Laura received her initial diagnosis of breast cancer.

After undergoing therapy and a double mastectomy, which seemed successful initially, Jake recalled: “We thought it was all going well from there. She was feeling super strong – she was active. But then it all changed at the start of this year.”

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