A Sherwood mum and daughter are trying to raise awareness of a rare type of cancer. Emma Johnson, 40, has been diagnosed with translocational renal cell clear carcinoma and the pair are fundraising for alternative treatments.
They also want to raise awareness of kidney cancer and the impact it can have on individuals and their loved ones. The mum of six has been told she is now at stage four and so is looking towards treatments such as oxygen tanks, Gerson therapy, health retreats, organic foods and CBD oils.
Emma was diagnosed in 2017 after finding blood in her urine. Her daughter Chloe Barton, 21, said: "The cancer is translocational so that means it is rare and means that it moves around the body but you cant see it until it has grown a bit. It is more common in children than adults, so why my mum has got it as an adult we do not really know."
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"We are now looking into alternative treatments. There's a place in Bristol called the Penny Brohn Centre that specialise in cancer treatments, nutrition, how to deal with cancer. We are also looking at nutritional courses, acupuncture, CBD oils and she is also under the palliative care team at Haywood House."
Chloe decided to set up a Just Giving page to raise money for treatments and alternative care as well as hosting a fundraiser on Saturday (21 May). The goal is to reach £5,000 and they are already at 55% of the target.
She said: "I also wanted to do something to help her because I can't physically do anything to help. I can't take the cancer out, I needed to do something to help her because she has had to stop working now and so it is impossible to afford all of these things without working. I thought to set up the Just Giving and a friend of hers suggested the fundraiser and we have been working together to organise it.
"I have taken on the lead role as the organiser just to try to do anything to help my mum but also raise awareness to let people know that if you do find these things and think something is not right, you need to get it checked. Some times you have to push for it because at first they just pushed it off as water infections because she is still quite young."
Chloe said: "She is just really grateful for it. She keeps telling me how proud she is of me and really grateful. I think it is more knowing that there is so many people there for her because she is one of these people who do all the charity events. She helps a lot, she used to do street nights with the homeless and with Nad Grill.
"She has done loads of events helping people so I think it is nice to see everyone else doing something for her. At first she was like 'oh I do not want to accept people's money, I don't want to accept the charity'. But she did it for everyone else so for once she just needs to let people do it for her. If it was anyone else she would do it for them. People are kind of giving back."
The fundraiser is taking place at the Lounge Bar and Restaurant in Beeston at 6pm on Saturday and Chloe and Emma are sharing the journey on Team Kidney Facebook page. Chloe added: "We just want to make people aware that you are not too young to get cancer. Most of the time you think oh you have got to be this age to get it when in reality it can happen to anyone."
Writing on the Team Kidney page, Emma said: "The day you're told that you have cancer, the day our worlds are turned upside down. Words can't describe what it's like to stay strong and how hard it actually is because we truly have no choice."
