Sponsored by
Mum's cancer drug too late
A MUM who was refused the only drug that offered any hope of beating cancer has lost her battle against the disease - just two weeks after being given the go-ahead for the medication on appeal.
Nikki Phelps, originally from South Yorkshire, died aged just 37 on Tuesday, within days of receiving the news that her appeal for the right to receive the cancer drug Sutent on the NHS had been successful.
The mum-of-two and husband Bill had already spent 9,100 of their life savings on the medication, and at one point had even considered putting their family home in Gravesend, Kent, on the market to raise more funds.
West Kent Primary Care Trust finally has now said it will refund the money.
The mum to two-year-old twins Jack and Harry died in Hammersmith Hospital in West London, surrounded by Bill, mum Kay Wilde, and sister Julie Bower, who had travelled from Doncaster to be with her.
Julie, from Kirk Sandall, said: "I think my sister would be very pleased that she may have paved the way for other people, and she gained a lot of strength from the thought that it may help other people in the same situation to get these drugs."
But she added: "I don't think the stress she was put through helped matters. She shouldn't have even have had to think about selling her house."
The 40-year-old said she was glad the family had been able to spend Nikki's final days together.
"We stayed down there and travelled back to Doncaster this week," she said. "I was able to spend the last five or six days with her. I have no regrets, but I feel very sorry for the boys."
Nikki was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago but was given the all-clear in 2002.
However, the disease returned in November 2007. She began taking Sutent in February this year and Bill said it improved his wife's condition. But the local NHS withheld it because the National Institute of Clinical Excellence has not approved it for the type of cancer she suffered.
Got a view? Leave your comment below.
Follow The Star on Twitter and Facebook:
For breaking news and sport follow The Star on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sheffieldstar and Facebook at www.facebook.com/sheffieldstar.
JOIN THE STAR READER PANEL: The Star is YOUR newspaper, so tell us what you think about it and what you want to see - CLICK HERE.
Don't miss our daily pull-outs - only in the The Star: Monday Star Sport, Tuesday Class Act; Wednesday Business; Thursday Grassroots; Friday Time Out; Saturday Retro. Subscribe to The Star - CLICK HERE
READ MORE
Join the Star reader panel
Main news index
Your letters
Features
South Yorkshire's environmental news
Kids Zone
More business news
More Rotherham news
More Doncaster news
More Barnsley news
Latest sport
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
