A DEVOTED cancer survivor who appealed to the people of Redditch to help her dying friend go on holiday with her family one last time has succeeded in her fund-raising campaign.
When Pride of Redditch winner Helen Biddle learnt her friend Tracy Reynolds had terminal cancer with only six months to live, she became desperate to help send her off with her loved ones for one last time by raising £2,000.
The pair have been friends since school but on November 30 their friendship took a devastating turn when Tracy, from Woodrow, was told her cervical cancer, which had spread to her bones, was terminal.
Since the appeal – less than two weeks ago – Helen has been inundated with donations, with the total currently standing at £2,430.
And accommodation is no longer a worry either after the family were gifted a five-bedroom, coastal property overlooking the sea in Cornwall during February half term at no cost to them.
The kind-hearted gesture came after Helen contacted staff at Classic Cottages with Tracy’s story and they said they were delighted to offer the property in conjunction with one of their cottage owners.
The offer grants Tracy’s wish of going to a cottage overlooking the sea with her extended family who will be on hand to help her and enjoy her company.
The 48-year-old was told she could have had further chemotherapy which could help her survive for another two months but the mother-of-three declined.
Tracy said: “It’s about quality time not quantity. I don’t want my children to see me like that and I don’t want to spend my time in bed again.”
Helen, a breast cancer survivor herself, is overjoyed to the reaction to her appeal and has been inundated with kind-hearted people dropping into Biddles Simply Fresh with cards and cash donations.
She said: “It’s been amazing, I can’t believe how many we have had and the kind words – even though Tracy has never had really had much herself she would give anyone her last penny.”
Thanks to Classic’s help, Tracy is now able to use the hearted donations to fund a strict recommended diet for people suffering with cancer and to pay for a people carrier for the family to travel to Cornwall together.
To support Tracy visit https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/helen-biddle-1 via a laptop or desktop computer.
