Proud mum, Nicola Hewitson, from Teesside has shared her daughter’s incredible fundraising efforts for a hospital unit while she battles incurable cancer.
Abbi was diagnosed with a low-grade glioma (a type of brain tumor) in 2019, after having her first seizure at the age of 24, Nicola has praised her daughter, friends and family for fundraising more than £8,000 for the neurosurgery department at The James Cook University Hospital, where Mr Anil Varma, a consultant neurosurgeon, performed a crucial 11-hour-long surgery in the same year.
Following diagnosis and treatment, Abbi suffered multiple daily seizures, further surgeries and review scans over the years as well as attending regular hospital appointments. Throughout this period, she developed a special bond with Mr Varma, whom Abbi called her very own ‘angel’.
Her mum, Nicola said: “She has a lot of love and respect for Mr Varma and thinks the absolute world of him.”
Due to the growing size of the tumour in her brain, surgery was ruled out as an option for Abbi, so therefore she started chemotherapy. Although the initial reports suggested that Abbi’s medical treatment was keeping the tumour under control, further reports revealed that Abbi’s tumour was transforming to a cancerous type, which did not have a cure.
Regardless, Abbi – now 31 years old – did not let this bring her spirits down, and has instead decided to give something back to the place that provided her with compassionate care and love. Abbi organised her first fundraising sparkle party during COVID-`19, and since, her friends and family have joined in her mission to raise funds for the hospital unit as they held a virtual lemonade stand, sponsored swim, and participated in the Great North Run.
Over the years, the fundraising activities undertaken by Abbi – despite her deteriorating condition – and her friends and family have raised over £8,000 for the hospital unit.
Mr Varma said: “I met Abbi in January 2019 when the brain scan picked up the tumour. She came across as a very determined young lady who maintained a positive attitude throughout her entire journey.
“Her determination shines through the fundraising activities that she has done for the department. I still have her framed T-shirt on my office wall from the 12-hour walk she did to raise funds in 2021. She is a shining personality that I will always remember as a “starry angel patient” I came across in my career as an oncology neurosurgeon.”
Nicola said: “She is the most selfless, generous lady with the biggest heart. Her family is her biggest love.
“Abbi has battled her condition like an absolute warrior for six and a half years, which still goes on today, making us all laugh with her wicked and sensational personality.”
Mr Varma added: “Abbi’s fundraising will help us to further develop the surgical services available at James Cook, which includes helping us to acquire the cortical stimulator — enabling us to do awake tumour surgery — and other such specialist surgeries.”
Our Hospitals Charity manager Lisa Meehan said: “We are so grateful to Abbi for the amazing fundraising she and her family have done, her kindness really will make a difference to other patients under the care of Mr Varma.”
