Mom “has weeks to live” following numb legs she sustained while shopping

Amy Smith was enjoying a shopping trip at Meadowhall with her daughter when she began to experience an unusual numbness in her legs, a sensation that left her feeling fatigued during the outing in October 2022.

The 42-year-old mother of one had been living a heartbreaking cancer journey spanning eight long years. Her battle included a grueling 12-hour operation in 2016 as medical professionals attempted to remove an astrocytoma tumor situated on her spine. Despite their best efforts, only 95 percent of the tumor could be extracted during the surgery. Amy’s determination and hard work during her rehabilitation paid off, enabling her to regain the ability to walk, and for a while, everything appeared to be going well.

However, it was six years later, during a routine shopping trip, that Amy noticed something was amiss. She recounted her experience to Derbyshire Live, saying, “I’d always been having regular MRIs since I was given the clear, but after the visit to Meadowhall, I realized something was wrong, so I asked them to move the appointment forward – which they did.”, reported Yorkshire Live.

It was during this medical evaluation that Amy received the devastating news she had been dreading: her tumor had started to grow again, and she needed to begin treatment anew in December. Over the last 12 months, Amy underwent three additional cycles of chemotherapy, but unfortunately, the treatment proved ineffective.

Amy explained, “They thought that my tumor had become resistant to the treatment and said there was no point continuing the chemotherapy. We tried two other treatments after the first one failed, and they all proved to be futile.”

Amy, who manages The White Retreat beauty salon in Dronfield, fell seriously ill over the Christmas period. Following further MRI scans, it was confirmed that the tumor was still growing, and the options for successful treatment were dwindling.

“On Boxing Day,” Amy recounted, “they told me I had only weeks to live. There is no other treatment that the NHS can offer to save my life, and we are now forced to explore treatment options abroad.”

Amy spoke of the incredible strength displayed by her 11-year-old daughter, Isla, since her second diagnosis, highlighting the challenge of breaking the news to her. “She’s doing surprisingly well,” Amy added, “She’s a really strong girl.” Jonathan, Amy’s partner, praised Isla for her courage, stating, “She’s doing well; she’s grown up with her mother in and out of the hospital, so she is used to it in a sense. From an early age, she has been so strong and she’s forced me and her mother to stay strong for her.”

Following her initial fundraising campaign that aimed to raise £60,000, Amy achieved her target last week. She now aspires to begin immunotherapy treatment in Germany, emphasizing her determination to explore every possible avenue for treatment. “I’ll do everything I can to try and find a treatment to help,” she affirmed.