A mum was given just 24 hours to live after being diagnosed with leukaemia while pregnant with her sixth child. Carrie Dodds-Hallan, 41, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with acute Myeloid Leukaemia in June, Manchester Evening News reports.
Doctors admitted to Carrie that she may have little time left after the devastating diagnosis. However, she miraculously defied all odds and gave birth on October 3 to her daughter, Poppy-May Leia Hallan and also married her partner, Shaun four days later. Carrie, who was informed of her condition by medics on June 26, is now receiving more tests as she prepares herself for another tough round of chemotherapy.
According to her childhood friend, Ben Gayton, who is raising funds to help the family out, Carrie is '"tired, sore but ready to get in and have her chemotherapy, and fight, fight, fight". Ben, also from Blackpool, has vowed to raise some cash for the family in a 46 mile sponsored walk so they can enjoy Christmas amid the heartbreaking struggles they are currently facing.
He said doctors told Carrie that the mild chemo they had been treating her with during her pregnancy had not worked and she was due to restart a stronger chemotherapy again at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He added : “Poppy came out really poorly, and Carrie was on a mild chemo, but I was made up when I saw them come home.
"Carrie calls her the ‘mini lioness'. Carrie has just said she’s tired, sore but ready to get in and have her chemotherapy and fight, fight, fight.
"It’s just such an urgent story, as because of her illness, they’ve had to use all the money and cancel Christmas to put her health first. When I saw that, I thought Carrie and those kids and Shaun deserve every moment of happiness they will get.
"I will walk from Blackpool to Manchester hospital to help them. I just want the community to come together. I understand that everything is going up.
"If everyone in this town put one pound in or 50p; this is a non-profitable walk and every little penny goes to Carrie and those kids, whether it's £10 or 100 grand, it’s not profitable."
Carrie previously told LancsLive in August: "It had attacked my body so quickly. My white blood cells were at 198, so I had to have chemotherapy and a blood wash.
"Once I had that, [the doctor] said I could have a future and that's when I started to pick up.” The 46-mile sponsored walk is due to take place on December 10 and will commence at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and finish at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital.
The purpose of the fundraiser is to provide Carrie's children with some gifts this coming Christmas as the family are struggling to cope with Carrie's illness. Ben added that "no child should go without at Christmas".
He said: “I've been in contact with Carrie to see what her wishes were and it was to have the perfect Christmas due to her ill health. Carrie is currently in ill health with cancer at Blackpool hospital and soon to be moved to Manchester hospital, so I thought because of the challenges she is going through we should do our bit.
“I’ll be walking from Blackpool Victoria to Manchester hospital to raise as much money as I can so we can give Carrie, her husband and children a Christmas to remember - we can do it. Please support me and help in any way, thank you.
“I would like to thank all the sponsors including Liam King, of King Custom Performance, the Blackpool Bible, Jordan Dean of Central Tattoos, Wayne Waring of Alpha Car Collections & Recovery and Rob Schofield, RPE Personal Trainer. This is to give the gift of Christmas to Carrie and her family; I’ve called the team Christmas wishes and dreams and I won’t dress up as Santa until the last mile.
"It’s probably one of the biggest challenges I've ever done in my life. Am I ready for it? 100 percent." To view Ben's fundraiser to help Carrie Dodds-Hallan and her family, and to contribute, click here.
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