‘She’s fighting for her life’: Mum of five children has inoperable ‘aggressive’ brain cancer

The 32-year-old underwent an emergency operation which only managed to remove 80 per cent of a rapidly growing tumour just 14 days after giving birth to her fifth child.

Now, as her anxious husband camps in a caravan park nearby with their four other children aged between two and eight years old, friends are rallying to raise money to save her.

By Friday afternoon, a fundraiser had raised $6125 of its $30,000 goal, with donors posting heartfelt messages like “I’m so proud of your strength and courage”.

Just last month, Felicity was in the third trimester of pregnancy with her fifth baby and the experienced nurse and midwife just knew something was wrong.

This pregnancy was different. Not only was she suffering from gestational diabetes, she had severe headaches and had begun confusing her words.

The 32-year-old lives with her husband Simon and their other four children in the remote Northern Territory town of Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula.

It was just over a month ago, and Felicity or ‘Flic’ as she is known, flew to Darwin for testing.

On May 16, doctors diagnosed Felicity with a brain tumour. They measured it at 5.5cm, and decided there was no time to waste.

Felicity was airlifted to Adelaide to prepare for the early arrival of her new baby son and for neurosurgery on the tumour.

On May 24, Jesse Grahame Plew was born at 33 and-a-half weeks gestation and weighing 2.53kg.

The Plews describe Jesse, who has two brothers and two sisters, as “a little fighter”.

Jesse remains in a special care nursery where he will stay for several weeks.

On June 7, neurosurgeons operated on Felicity.

MRI scans had shown the tumour had grown to 7cm, an increase of 1.5cm in just two weeks.

The doctors drained fluid from it before removing 80 per cent of its mass, the remainder unable to be removed because it would affect Felicity’s quality of life.

Biopsy results revealed that Felicity had the most aggressive form of brain cancer called a Glioblastoma.

Felicity’s tumour was Stage 4, or very advanced.

Meanwhile, Felicity’s husband Simon had taken leave of absence from work in Nhulunbuy and moved their four other children to a caravan park near the hospital in Adelaide.

Felicity was able to see Simon and Alexander, 8, Gracie, 6, Sophia, 4, and Charlie, 2, and the family was able to visit their baby brother Jesse.

But the situation has put the Plews in difficult financial straits, prompting friends to start the Felicity & Simon fight Brain Cancer gofundme page to raise $10,000 just to cover costs.

As the page says, “unfortunately costs are starting to mount up.

“Simon is trying to provide a stable, loving environment for the children at a time when their entire world has been flipped upside down.

“He is also worrying about day to day necessities, bills, paying the mortgage in SA, rent in NT and hire of the cabin in Adelaide and now the cost of cancer treatment too.

“He is doing all of this with his best friend in the hospital fighting for her life.

“There is no cure for brain cancer.”

Friends and family have pitched in, cooking meals for the Plews and helping with babysitting.

The gofundme page says “If you would like to help out this wonderful family please donate, even the cost of a cup of coffee would be a great help. Thank you xxx”

Donors poured out their sympathy for Felicity with messages wishing her luck and hope for the future.

“Heartbroken by this news,” posted Trista Hill. “Sending prayers for strength, positivity and support in the face of this unfair diagnosis.”

Naomi Miller wrote, “You’ve been such a wonderful and supportive friend to me over the years and I’ll always be here to support you and your beautiful family.

“I’m so proud of your strength and courage. Much love”.

All donations will be used for personal costs and medical bills.

Originally published as Pregnant woman gets worst news