Jacqui's Sarcoma Awareness fundraiser

The reason for my fundraiser has stemmed from having been diagnosed with a rare cancer, a type of sarcoma in my right foot in May 2022. It came as a shock of course as I had already had two foot surgeries, scans and a biopsy and was told the tumor was benign.

Unfortunately, some of us are dealt with some pretty full on situations at times, and it’s these hopefully rare occurrences that we realise what’s most important in our lives. Our close family and friends may start to take on different roles within your relationship with them. They then become carers, amazing supports and their generosity, morals, kindness really begin to shine through. I am so grateful to have these people surrounding me in my life.

I fortunately had a choice (as a wise friend told me) as I found a lump on my foot. I immediately went to my podiatrist thinking that I’d perhaps fractured the tendons or bone in my foot. It was from this point onwards that I had many scans to determine what it was, was referred to two specialists and then shortly after began my chemotherapy/ road to recovery journey. This all happened within a short few months.

To date I have done 6 cycles of chemo and had 3 surgeries. In the third surgery my doctor said that I am now 'cancer free', but I continued to do chemo to basically rid any rogue cancer cells that could be floating around in my body.

So I sit here in recovery mode writing this to tell my story. To aim to stay strong for myself, my little boy, my family and my friends. To try and get through this year with the best of my ability, to stay positive and look towards a future of wellness.

I am asking for donations not only for the two sarcoma foundations but also Pankind. My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2011 and unfortunately was not lucky enough to survive it. We need to raise these important funds for people who are living with this horrible disease.

About Sarcoma: Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in the connective tissue such as body fat, muscle, blood vessels, bone and cartilage. Sarcoma is extremely rare and aggressive, it often presents as a lump or the sensation of a pulled muscle - hence the serious nature of this disease as more times than not, by the time you get it checked out it can be too late. Listen to your body, it's better to be safe than sorry.

To follow along with my journey and story please follow my Instagram page - @jacqua622 and @jacq_sarcoma_survivor