Kelly Anne Seery was just 30 years old when she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. The diagnosis came six months after the birth of her fourth child Amber Rose in July 2009.

Here is the video clip that was shown on ITV Text Santa in December 2011 where Kelly shares her story.

 

 

Kelly Anne's story

Towards the end of what she had assumed to be a very sickly pregnancy, she began to vomit blood and was rushed into hospital.
After 3 days, the decision was made to carry out a caesarean section. 3 days later she was discharged.
“That’s when hell began” said Kelly.  She continued to be very sick which meant that she couldn’t take care of her new baby, Amber Rose, or be a mum to Jodie, Michael & Rebecca.
 “I kept being rushed into hospital and subsequently sent home, at one point I was told that I had Münchausen syndrome before being sent home.”
Just before Christmas 2009, the hospital decided to bring Kelly in for keyhole surgery, The Surgeon found what he believed to be a tumour sitting at the base of her stomach and on 25th January 2010, Kelly was admitted to hospital for surgery.
The operation turned out to be 11.5 hours long as not only did she have stomach cancer; it had also spread to her pancreas and lymph nodes.  She weighed just five and a half stone.
Half of Kelly’s stomach was removed along with her pancreas, lymph nodes and her oesophagus which was badly burnt from her relentless vomiting.
For Kelly the toughest memory she has to contend with is not related to her extensive surgery, it is of her then 10 year old daughter Jodie seeing her immediately after surgery.
“There were tubes everywhere, tubes out of my neck, tubes up my nose, tubes out of my stomach, a feeding tube...”
Jodie asked, “What have you done to my mummy?”  The only place she could hold was Kelly’s little finger.
She looked at Kelly and said, “Mummy, the angels are not taking you yet, because I need you.”

 

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Kelly's story continued...
Kelly remained in hospital for two weeks after which she endured 6 months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
At the end of the gruelling therapy Kelly prayed to God that would be the end of it and that she would be able to be a normal mum to her children again.
Unfortunately, that was not to be.  Five months later after some discomfort, Kelly was diagnosed with a uterine tumour.  On January 15th 2011, Kelly had further surgery to remove the tumour which had attacked her womb and ovaries. 
With Kelly’s love of children, this was a particularly cruel blow.
“I’d always wanted a big family, having my womb taken away at 31 also took away my choice”
 

After the surgery, Kelly faced another six months of gruelling chemotherapy which resulted in the loss of her hair.  She battled on with amazing strength & courage. Just months after completing the chemotherapy she managed to complete the Saint Francis Hospice Star Trek Walk.  The 10 kilometre ladies only midnight walk was completed by Kelly and her fellow day hospice patients – The Day Hospice Dollies.
Tragically for Kelly, she was not to enjoy good health for long. In August of this year she began to experience more niggling stomach pains culminating in the shattering news that the cancer had returned, this time in her bowel.
 

Sadly Kelly’s aggressive cancer is hereditary; she has what is commonly known as the cancer gene.  She is the ninth family member to have cancer.
Kelly’s last surgery took place on August 15th 2011, the outcome was bleak.
The tumour in Kelly’s bowel is in-operable. Complications during Kelly’s surgery delayed any other possible chemotherapy until this November.
There is nothing more that can be done for Kelly; her condition is life-limiting.

She has decided not to pursue further treatment.  Kelly wants to enjoy every minute with her family this Christmas as it may be her last.

   

 

 

We are with her every step of the way.

In Kelly’s words...

“I’ve got cancer for the third time, it’s the type of cancer that buries itself and hides.  I have to live with the fact that this is the way my life is going to play out now.  I’m always going to have cancer and I’m always going to be battling. Sooner or later, this will end up taking my life, and my kids will end up losing their mum.  Before this happened to me I thought that cancer was for old people, not young mums like me.
I was referred to the hospice by a district nurse but my first reaction was Hell no! I’m not going there, I’m not old, I’m not dying & I’m not planning on dying! It took me about 4 weeks to give it a try and I told her my partner Clive to leave his mobile switched on. I was sure I’d be ringing him in half an hour to come and get me because I was not going to like it. But then I remember looking in and thinking you’re not old and you don’t look like you’re dying and you look like you might be having some fun. I met a nurse called Clare who’s sense of humour immediately got me laughing and I thought maybe this isn’t what I thought it was going to be like. I saw everyone laughing and giggling and not acting like they were ill. When I left at the end of the day, I told Clive that I really enjoyed myself and I am going back.  It felt like I’d been meeting up with mates that I’d always known. Now, I’d be lost without this place. I can talk candidly about what I’m feeling and it’s nice to talk to people who know what I’m going through.  Until you’ve actually been through it you can’t understand.  You can sympathise but you can’t understand. It’s so nice meeting other people that really do know.  I see the same crowd every Wednesday and I would consider them all to be very close friends now, they even came to my daughter’s birthday party recently.
The hospice is the only place I can get upset too, I can’t do this in front of my four amazing children. They’ve been through enough and seen too much so I have to be strong for them. That’s why I love the hospice so much, it’s the only place I can be me, it’s the only place that I can be Kelly. Without this place, I don’t think I’d be able to cope.

 

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Kelly's story continued...
I see Sue, the hospice councillor, she lets me say how I’m feeling and thinking. My children are seeing her too. She has given me two books to read with them to encourage them to question my treatment. Jodie loves the hospice; she always says that when I come home I look so happy and refreshed.  She has been through so much.  When I’m sick, it’s always Jodie behind me rubbing my back.  If I’m awake all night, she’s with me.” (Jodie is 12 years old)  Clive loves it too; it’s the one day of the week that I don’t run around after the kids.  He sees that it helps me and that makes him feel happy too.
My time at the hospice gives me a way to take back a little control over what’s happening.  You completely lose control when you’ve got cancer.  Your body is not your own; your feelings are not your own because you’ve got to worry about how your family are feeling. I’m always worrying about how Clive and the children are feeling and a lot of times I’m so focussed on everybody else that I’ve forgotten myself.
The pampering really helps, I’ve had all the facials and complementary therapies, I really love the reflexology, it helps me to relax.  Saint Francis Hospice offers all of these services to me and all the family, it’s great!
 

 

I attend the day hospice every Wednesday; I can get blood tests done and see the doctor if I’m in pain. I also have home visits from Katy Skinner, one of the hospice’s specialist nurses. She phones me at home regularly and the team are always familiar with my condition so I don’t have to repeat myself all the time.  It comforts me to know that help is at hand when I need it.
Without this place, I would be lost, my kids would be lost. I knew nothing about hospices until I came here.  Before I had cancer, I would have walked away from a hospice fund raiser, I’d have been too busy to take any notice.  It’s only now that I see the amazing work that the nurses and staff at the hospice do. It really opens your eyes.  I was one of these people before I got ill who would have walked straight past you if I saw you canvassing for support.  I’d have told have told you I was too busy and walked away but now... everything has changed and I want to do anything I can to help.” 
Saint Francis Hospice is a place to be myself, a place to not worry about what I say, where I can say whatever I feel.

This is where I can come to be Kelly.  I’m not a mum, I’m not a wife, I’m not a daughter, I’m just me – this is the only place I can just be Kelly.

 

Kelly fought to the end but sadly lost her battle on the 15th December 2011.

She died peacefully at Saint Francis Hospice.

 

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