Fundraiser launched to give 'bright and colourful' mother near Banbury more time with her young children

Betheny ‘Bee’ Connor’s life was turned upside down when she found a lump in her breast in December 2023.

The following months were a rollercoaster for the 39-year-old mother from Aynho, who was told she had triple-negative breast cancer.

Over the course of ten months, Betheny underwent gruelling chemotherapy, radiotherapy, mastectomy, and immunotherapy treatments.

Despite the hardships and at times extreme side effects of the treatment, Betheny’s family says she ‘managed everything with smiles and strength’.

Marc, Betheny’s husband, said: “Bee worked as a mental health nurse for children, and she has given all of her time to help others her entire life.

“She is a very caring person and is always thinking of others. She is a social and bubbly person and has definitely made a mark on the village where we live.”

“She is also a loving mum to her three girls, who she adores so much.”

Clare, Betheny’s sister-in-law, said: “I would describe Bee as bright and colourful; she brings light and joy wherever she goes. She always has bright lipstick on and dresses quirky and is very well liked.”

Last year, Betheny was informed that the treatment had been successful, and she was given the all-clear.

This was wonderful news for the family, who felt like they could put the past year behind them and enjoy their lives once again.

However, the good fortune sadly did not last, and in July this year, Betheny was informed by doctors that the cancer had not only returned but had now spread to her spine and brain.

Betheny, who is currently undergoing further chemotherapy treatment, now has stage four breast cancer, meaning that it is incurable.

Marc said: “Bee has triple-negative breast cancer, and that means that only a few chemotherapies and medicines work.

“There are only a limited number of options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, and once those options run out, then it becomes very difficult to treat and control the cancer.”

Not prepared to give up without a fight, Marc and Clare have launched a fundraiser to help fund life-extending medication not currently available for them on the NHS.

The medication, named Enhertu, is available in Scotland; however, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which provides guidance for NHS England, deems it to be too expensive for the taxpayer.

At first, Betheny’s family asked AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, which produce the medication for Enhertu, on compassionate grounds.

This was turned down, but they were told that Betheny could self-fund the medication at a discounted price.

This led them to set up the fundraiser with the goal of hitting £58,200 by the end of November, when Betheney’s current round of chemotherapy ends, to fund a year’s worth of Enhertu medication.

Clare said: “Bee is only 39 years old, and she has three young children, and to be blunt, the extra time that Enhertu could give her could be the difference between her youngest child remembering her as a person or through our memories.

“It would hopefully also help with her quality of life and ease some of her discomfort as well as extend her life.”

Marc added: “Enhertu has given us an extra light, that Betheny could be one of the lucky ones that it works for, and it could end up extending her life for a significant time.”

Alongside fundraising to purchase the Enhertu treatment, Marc and Clare also want to raise awareness about the lack of treatment available for triple-negative breast cancer patients in England and, hopefully, bring about a change in the way medication is prescribed.

Marc said: “Triple negative breast cancer is underfunded; it is a complicated type of cancer that doesn’t have hormone receptors, which can be blocked, so there is less treatment than some other forms of cancer.”

Clare added: “It isn’t just us; we are in a position where we can hopefully raise the money to fund a year of treatment, but there are many other families who don’t have the opportunity to raise the money.

“So we want to raise the money now to get the medication by November, but we also want to raise awareness and try and get this medication approved to be used by NHS England because there are a thousand other people it could benefit in England.”

Alongside the online fundraiser on GoFundMe, Marc and Clare have set up a raffle, which has been sponsored by several local businesses and has some incredible prizes, including a new bathroom worth £10,000 and a three-night stay in Amsterdam.

Marc said: “Betheny looks after three young children aged six, four, and three, which is hard enough as it is, but when you throw cancer into the mix, it makes it so much harder.

“For me personally, watching someone you married, and have children with, go through it is heart-wrenching and truly awful. I also think about how devastating it must be for our children who will ultimately one day lose their mum to this cancer.

“Of course, while all this is going on, expenses don’t stop, so we have to carry on with life as normal, for the children as much as possible, which is really difficult.”

To donate to Betheny’s fundraiser visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-bee-enhurtu-and-give-her-more-time-with-her-girls

To enter the raffle, visit: https://raffall.com/396192/enter-raffle-to-win-over-15000-pounds-of-prizes-to-be-won-hosted-by-clare-connor