Littlehampton widow with terminal cancer launches desperate appeal for help to fund surgery to give her precious time with her eight-year-old son

Sarah Moss has already raised more than £10,000 via GoFundMe for her appeal, 'One last hope in the hope of beating terminal cancer', with an initial target of £16,000.

The 48-year-old has been a single parent since her husband passed away in August 2020, after illness complications, and was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2022.

She said: "The long and arduous battle with grief was compounded a little over two years later, when I was diagnosed, with a mastectomy taking place in December 2022.

"However, the cancer had not been caught soon enough, with more surgery required to remove cancerous lymph nodes, along with intravenous chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

"Dealing with the side effects of pain and sickness, while still trying to raise my now five-year-old son was an exceptionally difficult time."

Following a brief period of stability, Sarah was given a further cancer diagnosis two years ago, with stage 4 metastatic cancer in the bones of her pelvis and spine, and additional tumours in her liver.

Sarah said: "When Worthing Hospital discovered the liver tumours along with the bone cancer in March 2024, I was given five years to live by the oncologist. My youngest, George, is eight years old, autistic, and firmly in my care. If that five years is accurate, then my son will be orphaned in three years time, at 11 years old, which terrifies me beyond words.

"More chemotherapy has managed to stabilise the bone cancer for now but my liver tumours have continued to grow. The fact that the bone cancer has stabilised has been a miracle in itself. My joints still cause me significant pain, leading to fatigue, and it can take me over two to three days to recover from any strenuous activity, but the fact it’s not getting any worse has been a massive weight off my shoulders.

"However, my liver has continued to deteriorate. There are four tumours, the biggest of which is 53mm wide, having grown 8mm in the last eight months alone. The sickness has been rough, with its frequency getting worse in recent months, but the main problem has been the waves of pain I’ve experienced during the tumour growth."

When the constant stabbing pain is so bad, Sarah cannot get out of bed, her parents have stepped in to look after George and take him to school.

Her case is currently in a handover to the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, with a view to private surgery by cancer specialists. Sarah has been advised the cost could be £35,000, just for the operation, and hopes to have the money ready once approval to proceed comes through.

Visit www.gofundme.com/f/one-last-hope-in-the-hope-of-beating-terminal-cancer for more information about her appeal, 'One last hope in the hope of beating terminal cancer', and to make a donation.

Sarah said: "We were really hoping it wouldn’t have to come to this, but we’re here. Given the way my liver is deteriorating, it’s hard to ignore the three-year-expectancy hanging over my head, which has forced my hand in the situation.

"I’m against the clock trying to raise funds for the surgery. As you can imagine, the weight of that figure is immense but I can’t put a price on the life of my son and the idea of him losing both of his parents before he even becomes a teenager.

"The hope is that by removing these tumours, I can reduce the pain for a better quality of life and so that I can continue being a mother to my son. I know the bone cancer is terminal, so I know there’s no way out of this fight, but I want to keep fighting for as long as possible so I can see my son grow up while continuing to make memories with him, so he can cherish them when he’s older."