More than £37,000 raised for brave cancer victim who was repeatedly misdiagnosed

Fighter: Rosie MacArthur was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer two years ago

More than £37,000 has been raised for a brave stage 4 cancer victim as she undergoes life-saving treatment after doctors told her there was nothing wrong with her.

Londoner Rosie MacArthur was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 33 after being misdiagnosed by her GP for over a year.

By the time she received an accurate diagnosis, more than two years ago, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and liver.

Her older sister, Holly MacArthur, told the Standard: “She went with initial symptoms, she was in an awful lot of pain, couldn’t eat, she was bleeding, in the end she couldn’t walk.

Fundraiser: More than £37,000 has been raised for Rosie

“The GPs made her feel pretty stupid for coming back, they didn’t take her seriously and by the time she was diagnosed she actually had a large tumour.

“The cancer had spread and she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

“She wasn’t expected to survive, that was just over two years ago.

“She had an operation to remove the tumour, had chemotherapy, then had a second major surgery and more chemo after that.

“At the end of the last round they were saying it is more about prolonging her life rather than a cure. That is when we decided to take things into our own hands.”

Family: Rosie with her mother

Her treatment with the NHS included cutting a tumour out from her bowel and having 70 per cent of her liver removed.

With no further options available for her in the UK, a fundraising page was set up by Holly in a last ditch attempt to save her life by sending her to Istanbul for treatment.

There she is receiving a pioneering technique that combines the highest level of conventional cancer treatments with science-based integrative therapies.

Rosie, who grew up Barnet and lives in Walthamstow, has already been for two bouts and is about to head out for a third.

She is hoping to go every two weeks over three months however each stint of treatment costs £6,000.

The aim is to eradicate the cancer rather than prolong life.

Holly added: “We found this treatment in Turkey, Istanbul, which is getting amazing results. People who are worse off than Rosie are coming back with clear scans.

“It has been a really difficult time, she’s quite a private person and it was quite a difficult decision to go public with the situation but we have been overwhelmed with the support.

“Seeing that Rosie has really managed to get her spirits up.”

To view Rosie's GoFundMe page, click here.

A fundraising event is taking place this Sunday for Rosie on the Southbank. Details can be found here.

There will also be a 'Cabaret for Rosie' event at SHE Soho on Sunday June 17 at 7pm.

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