Crippling bills have forced a terminally ill mum to choose between eating or heating.
Joanna Jonathan, 37, was given a lung cancer diagnosis three years ago, six months after giving birth to her first daughter Freya.
Her 'miracle' second daughter Dylann followed last September despite gruelling treatment for ALK-positive lung cancer.
The mum from Haslingden, Lancashire was delighted with her ‘miracle baby’ and was the only person in the country to give birth while having stage four cancer.
But she's now forced to face the fact that the ‘clock is ticking’ while also struggling with the cost of living crisis, LancsLive reports.
She told Channel 4 News: “My real fear is dying, having not really lived.
“I feel like I’m barely existing right now. When you become a mum, you want to give everything for your children, and especially now at a time where I’m well aware that the clock is ticking."
Adding that she would be lucky to live another two years, the young mum said she wanted to make memories for her children. But instead the family was facing a choice between heating their home and buying food.
She said: “If I make it another two years, I’ll be very lucky… Chances are all they’re going to have is photographs, and I want them to have some really epic memories and if we can’t even afford that, and if we’re having to choose between eating and food, and not holidays and days out, that’s heartbreaking.
“I know everyone’s been affected by the cost but we have so many additional costs, the travelling to hospital – I’m lucky that I’m under a really great cancer centre in Manchester but it’s an additional 40 mile round trip from my house and trying to find that in petrol money with the prices of petrol at the moment is just worrying.”
Joanna was forced to give up work after her diagnosis and her husband Daniel, whom she married in a Covid-secure ceremony back in November 2020, was made redundant during the pandemic.
Having to survive on Universal Credit and disability benefits, the family are facing energy bills which have tripled and food bills which have doubled, meaning that Daniel is considering going back to work.
He told Channel 4 News: “I really don’t want to, because anything can happen at home, at any time.”
Joanna explained: “I can be fine one minute, and then infection will hit, and knowing that I would be alone with one or both of the children….”
Cancer charity Macmillan has said the number of people needing help with their heating bills alone shot up by 58% in the first three months of this year, compared with the same time last year.
Meanwhile cancer specialists are calling on the government to offer more specialist help since battling with the cost of living crisis is damaging those living with a serious illness.
Dr Richard Simcock, NHS Oncologist and Macmillan advisor, explained to Channel 4 how he had patients who were working in physically demanding jobs despite undergoing the ordeal of chemotherapy - and that balanced nutrition, warmth and good hygiene were vital.
He said: “Right now our biggest concern is that the services that are already available, so PIP payments for example, are taking a very long time to reach patients.
The statistics from the government suggest an average time of 22 weeks for people to receive their first payment and that’s far, far too long in our view.”
Fighting back tears, Joanna added: “It sometimes hits me, how did this become my life? How did we get here?
"Daniel and I have always worked; you don’t have a family or go into having a house and marriage and stuff thinking that you’ll end up not being able to do the things that you set out to do.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said: “We know that living with a long-term illness or disability can impact on living costs and financial support is available to those with disabilities, or those who care for them.
"We urge people to check whether they are receiving all of the benefits to which they are entitled, and to be aware of the wider support this opens up, including help with transport, broadband or prescription costs.
“In addition, the Government is taking decisive action to help more than 27 million households with rising energy costs, with a £200 reduction on bills this autumn, a £150 non-repayable reduction in Council Tax bills and our £1 billion household support fund is helping the most vulnerable with essential costs.”
