A FORMER cancer sufferer is receiving a little help from her friends in the hope of achieving the ‘life-changing’ dream of having a baby.
Tracy Kirrage was diagnosed and treated for cervical cancer a decade ago, leaving her with little chance of falling pregnant naturally.
After years of trying the 37-year-old and partner Ashley Keatley, 35, who live together in Rugby, have now been referred to the NHS for IVF – but been told it could be two years before treatment can begin.
To increase their chances, best friend Anna Withers has started a fund-raising page to raise £5,000 – enough to pay for one attempt at private IVF.
Tracy, who works in accounts at a Leamington solicitors, told the Observer: “I don’t want to put the NHS down as they are truly amazing, it is just such a long winded wait and process to have IVF with them and as age is against me I am being recommended to try and go private if possible.
“My friend has kindly set up the fund-raising page and I am doing all I can to help fund-raise for what would be a life-changing dream.
“I feel very loved, emotional and thankful she would try to help me like this.”
And Anna said she knew she had to help her friend after having had a baby herself and the tireless fund-raising Tracy had done to support others.
She said: “After a lot of abrasive treatment and surgeries it meant Tracy’s chances of becoming a mum naturally were very slim.
“The only way this dream may become a reality is for them to pay privately.
“This has become even more important to me since becoming a mum myself recently and Tracy deserves to become one too and share all the love she has with a little one.
“She has also spent many years fund-raising for both Jo’s Trust and Cancer Research and now I would like to try and help her and Ashley if I can.
“I am reaching out to every single one of you to ask if you would please help by making a donation toward their dream, however small this may be we would be so grateful.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tracyandashivf to donate.