AN A&E nurse who founded two first responders groups is appealing for help in her own cancer battle.
Warwick Hospital nurse Natalie Craig recently discovered the bowel cancer she had been diagnosed with had spread to her liver.
Despite an operation to remove half her bowel and several gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, the 44-year-old from Rugby has been told she only has months to live.
But the mum-of-three is determined not to give up and is pursing private treatment which could cost up to £20,000.
And friends and family are rallying to help raise money for the ‘selfless’ nurse, who is also a carer to her son who suffers with autism.
Sister Hayley Nicholls said: “My beautiful sister has just been given the devastating news that no one ever wishes to hear. That her cancer is terminal and she only has a few months to live.
“Natalie has dedicated her life to helping others, firstly as a carer, then over ten years as an award-winning first responder and lastly as an A&E nurse within the NHS. The irony is that she now needs your help urgently, to take care of her.
“Unfortunately, her cancer was not treated in a timely manner once detected and her bowel cancer had spread to her liver.
“Natalie, her husband and children are absolutely crushed by the news.
“The consultant explained that there was nothing more they could offer her on the NHS due to the expense of alternative medical solutions, hence the only available option is to investigate private clinics to pursue other avenues in treating the cancer.”
The family say Natalie’s selfless nature led her to set up Rugby First Responders group after raising some £70,000. She later went on to found the Coventry First Responders Team.
Fund-raising for Natalie – also a grandmother of one – has so far reached more than £5,000 but Hayley said more is needed urgently.
She added: “Natalie would give you her last penny and the clothes on her back if she knew it would help a person who needed it more than she did. Please help her in her hour of need by donating whatever you can afford.
“The clock is ticking and we need to raise the funds now in order to save her life.”
Click here to donate or find out more.
