Fundraising appeal launched for Banbury NHS nurse with breast cancer

A fundraising campaign has been launched for a Banbury NHS nurse with breast cancer who developed sepsis after her first chemo treatment.

Melania Ciornei launched the appeal to help her sister, Ionela Spiru, who serves an anaesthetic nurse at Churchill Hospital in Oxford and lives in Banbury with her husband and her two children.

Melania started a GoFundMe web page with a fundraising target of £10,000 to help the family.

Anyone who can help can use the following web link to make a donation: https://uk.gofundme.com/f/help-for-ioana

The family also seeks prayer from the community as the sisters and their families grieve the loss of their father this week.

Melania posted the following message on the GoFundMe web page: "My dear sister, Ionela (Ioana) Spiru is a loving mother, wife, an amazing daughter to her parents and a great NHS nurse.

"Feeling unwell, she was rushed to the hospital and received the shocking diagnosis of breast cancer metastasis, wide spread to liver, lungs and bones at 46 years old.

"She has been referred to a team of oncologists and she started the chemotherapy sessions. Unfortunately, after the first session she developed mouth ulcer and neutropenic sepsis and put her back in the hospital since 22nd of December 2020.

"Since then we have lost our father on the 3rd of January 2021. Ioana is fighting for her life every minute, ever hour, every day.

"What her family needs is our faith filled prayers and loving support through unsettling time.

"Thank you and may God bless you!"