Heartbreaking appeal launched by family of Rotherham mum whose illness means she won't see her son grow up

Tina Richardson lived a life like any other, growing up on Salisbury Road in Maltby and getting a job at the local newsagents, Pearson’s, at the age of 15, where she stayed for 30 years.

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Following it’s closure, she found work at Crawshaws butchers in the village and stayed on as it was taken over by Meat Mart.

Yet, three months ago her life changed forever, when she suffered a seizure at home in front of her 14-year-old son Jayden which led doctors to discover cancer on her brain and lungs.

Scans, biopsies and treatment options were all being discussed when the worst happened - Tina suffered a second seizure.

She lost feeling in her leg and was unable to stand, before being hit by a third seizure that lasted 56 minutes.

The combined trauma led to the 55-year-old being paralysed down the left side of her body and with a bleed on the brain.

This latest issue means that doctors are no longer able to perform radiotherapy or any other treatment for her brain tumour, and though there were options for her lungs the active brain bleed remains incurable.

As such, the mother made the decision no one wants to be faced with, choosing to not explore treatment options for her cancer as to spend whatever time she has left with her family.

“That’s the most horrific part, we’d gone to the medical panel who agreed they could provide treatment and then these out of control seizures sent us down a different road,” Tina’s niece, Amy Tomlinson, told The Star.

“You’re thinking that surely if they can stem the bleed there’s still options - in your mind they can still do something.

“So to have that news delivered to you that there’s nothing they can do - I can’t put into words how Tina must be feeling.

“And then she had to make this decision whether to explore further treatment.

“It could’ve given her some extra time, or it may make her more sick and she’d have to be stuck in hospital.”

Amy, 33, along with the rest of Tina’s family, including her three siblings, have all rallied around and are providing around the clock care for her at her own home.

Tina’s niece Gemma and partner Gary are taking care of Jayden.

Collectively they also made the difficult decision to set up a GoFundMe which would provide money to support Jayden after he loses his mum.

In less than 24 hours they have already raised over £27,000.

Included in that are two separate £10,000 donations from Stephanie Rogers and a donor who chose to stay anonymous.

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Funds will go towards Jayden’s future, providing support for things like university.

Amy added: “We’ve been humbled by it - we’re just a working class family who get on with things.

“The whole community has really come together for us, but it’s not just the immediate village, it’s far and wide - people we don’t know have sent in money.

“As I wrote in the GoFundMe, it was a difficult decision to go forward with a fundraiser.

“That’s just the kind of family we are - it’s hard to ask for help.

“We’re a family of miners in a former pit village - we’re well known and people here come together.

“It’s why I mentioned that [Tina] used to work at Pearson’s, she would see the miners every day on their way to work and serve them their newspapers and cigs.

“She’s very well loved.”

Anyone wishing to support Tina and her family in this difficult time can do so here.

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