A grandmother dying of cancer determined to make the most of her every last moment was “overwhelmed” when strangers helped pay off the mortgage on her home.
Kelly McFayden, 39, successfully fought cancer twice before doctors discovered her squamous cell carcinoma – a very rare anal canal cancer – had returned in 2019.
She then learned she had developed terminal cancer of the pelvis, a slow-growing tumour eating away at the nerves in her leg causing constant pain and discomfort.
To ensure her son Shay, daughter Erin and granddaughter Rhea are cared for after she is gone her close friend Andrew Cunningham decided to organise a fundraiser in her honour.
Kind hearted donors have now helped smash its £20,000 target to pay off her mortgage.
Kelly told Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser : “When Andrew suggested the fundraiser to pay off my mortgage, I thought he was mad.
"And I was a little embarrassed as well asking to rely on people.
"But Andrew pointed out that I have worked all my days to provide and now it's time to take a step back and continue my fight with cancer. So we decided to give it a go."
Kelly added: “Never, ever, in my wildest dreams did I think that we would be sitting with all of this cash towards paying off the house.
“It’s overwhelming, humbling and means the world to me and my family.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and every person who has donated and, of course, to Andrew for thinking of this.
“How lucky are we to have him in our lives?"
Thanks to the generosity of others she can now concentrate on fighting for every minute with her family.
Andrew had written: “My good friend Kelly McFadyen is in St Andrews Hospice Airdrie fighting cancer for the third time.
“She’s such a strong person who asks nothing for herself, even fundraising over £4000 while in the hospice.
“I want to show Kelly how much she’s loved by everyone and secure her daughter and son’s home for them and take that burden off her shoulders in the short time we have left.”
Over the years, single mum Kelly has consistently fought her cancer battle with a huge smile on her face and a positive attitude.
Such has been her determination to keep going that she has raised thousands of pounds for the charities that helped her most during her battle, including over £4,000 for St Andrew’s Hospice, £2,300 for Beatson Cancer Charity and £140 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
She also spends as much time as she can with her family.
Kelly, who worked for Parks Motor Company, is now undergoing her end-of-life treatment, but is determined to fight her battle to the bitter end and hopes the fundraiser will see her children and granddaughter comfortable in their family home after she has gone.
She said: “I’ve had five years of pain and fighting a battle.
“It really has been one thing after another, but now all I can do is smile and fight each day as it comes for my family.”
You can donate to Kelly's fundraising page here .
