Mother-of-two fighting to stay alive
A woman who put her exhaustion down to looking after her young children has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Chanelle Moles was first diagnosed with low iron, post-natal depression and hormone imbalance after experiencing months of fatigue.
She accepted the diagnosis before sensing that there was something more to the way she was feeling.
The Perth mother, 34, pushed doctors to do more tests and scans when it was revealed that she in fact had stage four colon cancer in October 2020.
By then, the cancer had spread to Chanelle’s liver and lungs.
At the beginning of 2022, Chanelle was told she would have just six to 18 months left to live.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have thought that within five years of becoming a mummy I would be told I don’t have long to live,” Chanelle told 7News.
“Every day I wake up, I wish I could just ‘wake up’ from this nightmare and see that it was all just a dream. Unfortunately it is not, this is my reality and the reality for my beautiful children and husband.
“I don’t want to leave them, not yet. I love life and I am doing everything I possibly can to fight for mine.”
The 34-year-old mother wanted to do anything to see her kids grow up and underwent 13 months of chemotherapy, along with major surgeries and treatments.
In July 2021, she was informed that her body wasn’t responding to chemotherapy and was offered the chance to try CyberKnife - a radiation therapy that helps get rid of the spots on the liver.
Following the treatment, Chanelle received incredible news that her cancer was in remission.
That was short lived until four days before Christmas 2021 when a follow up scan showed that the cancer had in fact spread to the peritoneal cavity, ovaries and the abdominal area.
Chanelle was offered another sign of hope when a doctor informed her he could remove all her cancer.
But following an intense 16 hour surgery, he told her that it was unsuccessful.
“Since then she has been through countless surgeries and endured the most ravaging chemotherapy just to be given a chance to rid her body of this horrible disease and watch her kids grow,” her husband Graham Moles said.
Trying their luck one more time, Chanelle was accepted into a life-saving cancer treatment in Houston, US.
Unfortunately, the treatment will see them out of pocket a whopping $150,000.
After launching a GoFundMe page, $233,036 was raised of the $150,000 goal (number correct at time of publishing).
The family were overwhelmed with the support and said any of the leftover money will be donated to the charities of Chanelle’s choice.
Image: Facebook