‘Selfless’ paramedic mum told she can’t have life-saving cancer treatment on NHS

A TV paramedic mum, who has worked on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19, has been told she cannot receive the life-saving cancer treatment she needs through the NHS.

Chrstine Gill, 53, is now desperately crowdfunding for a drug to treat her stage four oesophageal cancer, after being offered end-of-life palliative care.

Christine, who has “helped so many people” as a paramedic for more than three decades, has gone through gruelling chemotherapy and now doctors say her time is running out.

The paramedic was told she was among 25 per cent of patients who could be cured if she could afford to have treatments which are only available privately.

She believes treatment, such as proton beam therapy, could save her life or at the very least buy her more time with her family.

The therapies the family want Christine, who lives in Droitwich, Worcs., to have are not available on the NHS and she needs at least £20,000 to fund it herself.

‘She deserves to live through her retirement’

Her daughter Bethany-May Curtis, 30, said: "My mum has helped so many people and never puts herself first.

"She always puts her heart and soul into helping others.

"She has worked endlessly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this is just the most recent example of my mum's desire to put her life on hold to help save those who need it most.

"I am just hoping that people will help me to save my mum's life like she has saved the lives of others.

"She deserves to live through her retirement and make memories with her grandchildren.

"The tumour was advanced but localised.

"After doing some research there are alternative treatments and more options for Christine but unfortunately these will have to be privately funded, these could save her life."

£23,000 raised

The family launched a JustGiving page in a desperate bid to raise £20,000 to fund the potentially life-saving treatment.

Incredibly, just weeks after the appeal went live, more than £23,000 has been raised.

Writing on the page, her family said: "Christine is married to her best friend and soulmate Tony, she has Ashley and Bethany her children and her grandchildren Charlie and Nancy who play a massive part of her life.

"She also supports her elderly mum.

"Along with this she also loves her career in the West Midlands Ambulance Service.

"Chris is keen to beat this and return to her duties on the front line."

‘Selfless, considerate, loving’

Christine joined the ambulance service in 1984 as a control room assistant before training as a paramedic in 1997.

Since then, she has mentored hundreds of staff and trainees in a number of Midlands universities.

Her career has also seen her become head of clinical practice for women and children in the service, which saw her sent to Kolkata in India to work in the slums with children and their families.

In 2013 she returned to being a frontline paramedic and appeared on the BBC's "Ambulance" and Channel 4's "999: On the Frontline" series.

The family added: "After a lifetime of helping people, and only having retired for three years, Christine needs our help.

"She is such a selfless, considerate, loving, caring and strong person inside and out."

You can donate to Christine’s fundraiser here.

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