A mum has traveled across the world in an attempt to save her life after being given a devastating diagnosis.
Lydia Hodge was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer in February this year. After meeting with doctors in Liverpool she and her husband Mark decided to look for other options.
Not wanting to go through the standard treatments of chemo and radiotherapy Lydia and Mark from Aintree, started to look for alternate solutions to combat the cancer as Mark said he "did not want to put his wife through something so invasive".
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After speaking to a naturopathic doctor from the United States he recommend the Centro Hospitalario Internacional Pácifico hospital in Tijuana Mexico. CHIPSA offers alternative cancer treatments including immunotherapy, a special diet, and frequent detox procedures.
Speaking to the ECHO Mark who is 48 said: "When the doctor listed the side effects of the treatment he sounded like a robot and we both felt that we wanted something more natural that would cause less harm to Lydia's body.
"We had a zoom call with CHIPSA and there were lots of past patients on it who had been through it already and been healed. So we decided that this was the best way to fight Lydia's cancer".
The couple landed in Mexico on August 12 and are planning to leave in September. Mark said they have already incurred huge costs with flights costing £7,000 alone and hospital bills are £2,000 a day with Mark paying out of his savings.
Mark said: "We have had to pay for the flights, accommodation, food costs, and medication that we have to take back home with us and the upkeep of our children who are being looked after by my parents but if it saves Lydia's life the costs do not matter."
However, the hardest thing was leaving their three children back in the Liverpool, Mark said: "We speak to them every day are two eldest daughters are quite tearful about mummy and daddy being away. I call them before they go to bed and I read a book to them.
"When I talk to my eldest she is very quiet and you can see her getting emotional. I think that has been the hardest part of it for both of us."
Lydia is originally from the United States and met Mark at a wedding in Israel, marrying in 2011. Mark said he had "prayed to meet a woman like Lydia" and that everything about them just matched up".
Mark who is an IT consultant said: "I'm biased but she is an amazing mum and so generous if anything going through this process has brought us closer together we have been married 11 years and it is stronger today than it ever has been."
Lydia said that despite the massive expense they are "at peace" with the decision to travel halfway across the world for the experimental treatment. She said: "We have definitely had our crying moments though and we have had to think about if we do not get the result we want.
"It is hard for me because I do not want to leave my husband and my kids but it will be harder for Mark because he would be the one left with the children but we have prayed to god and are staying positive about everything."
The family is now raising money to pay for the treatment and if you would like to donate more information can be found here.
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