
Young Woman Given Months to Live Shares Heartbreaking Fight for More Time
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Chelsea Spencer, 33, has been told she has only months to live after doctors halted her treatment for a recurring brain tumor. Diagnosed in 2016, Chelsea initially underwent successful surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, but her tumor has now progressed to stage four.
Speaking about her journey, Chelsea recalled how it all began with severe headaches and seizures. “I was suffering with really bad headaches and went to the GP every week. They thought it was stress. Then one weekend at my boyfriend Simon’s house, I had a seizure. Simon described it as ‘like a scene out of The Exorcist.’”
Chelsea’s second seizure led to a scan that revealed a large tumor on the frontal lobe of her brain. After surgery in 2018, doctors confirmed it was a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma, an incurable tumor. “They were clear—brain tumors are incurable. The treatment would just control it, and it would come back later,” she explained, reported by Stoke on Trent Live.
Despite years of stable scans, her tumor began to grow again in May 2024, leading to emergency surgery and a return to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But earlier this month, a scan confirmed the treatment was no longer effective. “They told me I wasn’t looking at years—I was looking at months,” Chelsea said.
The news has left Chelsea grappling with her prognosis. “I can’t believe I’m talking about myself when I say ‘months to live.’ It’s so scary. I’m just taking each day as it comes, hoping for a miracle. I’m not ready to die,” she said.
Determined to explore every option, Chelsea and her mother, Wendy Davies, have launched a fundraiser to afford alternative treatments not available through the NHS. “I want to exhaust all my options. My main hope with the fundraiser is to try to buy more time with my family,” Chelsea said. Wendy, now caring for Chelsea in Brighton, expressed her heartbreak. “I’m living in disbelief. She’s only 33. It feels like we’re talking about somebody else. I’d sell my house to buy her more treatment.”
The fundraiser has already raised thousands, with supporters rallying to help Chelsea fight for more time. Wendy remains hopeful that someone might offer a solution. “Maybe someone will see it who knows something. I just want my daughter to have more time.”
Chelsea’s courage and determination have inspired many, as her story highlights the urgent need for better support for those battling terminal illnesses.