Wife of Sheffield Wednesday fitness coach says thanks for cash to help extend her life

In less than a week, friends, relatives, Sheffield Wednesday players past and present and strangers donated to an online site Hayley Kalinins set up in a desperate bid to extend her life.

The mum-of-four, married to Owls fitness and nutrition expert Andy Kalinins, has been battling breast cancer, which has now spread to her liver and lungs, since 2011.

Opening her heart as she made her plea for cash to help pay for treatment not yet available in the UK, Hayley said ‘time is running out’.

Moved by her plight, over 2,500 individual donations have now been made, with the figure raised last night topping £51,600.

Hayley said: “I am completely blown away with everyone’s generosity. I have no words, to be honest I think I am in shock.

“One week ago my husband and I sat in the kitchen and we were in doubts whether to set the GoFundMe page up as I knew it was a huge amount to raise. The initial plan was ‘to give it a try’ with a plan to raise the money between now and the end of April.

“Never did I think a week later we would have raised the target. We are so pleased we made the decision to do it.

“It is now possible for me to go to America for this treatment that will help build my destroyed immune system.

“I now have an extremely difficult process of logistically managing the trip whilst caring for my four children. It’s not going to be easy.

“I haven’t got a date yet to go out there, but have been in constant touch with hospital over the past few days. We will be making a plan over the next two weeks about how and when this will happen.

Hopefully the treatment I will receive will put me on a more even footing and enable me to plan more than I can at the moment.

“The treatments in America will heal my destroyed immune system and attack the cancer tumours with more natural treatments.

“Since being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer I soon came to realise that there is no miracle cure, however after my recent research there is an alternative way to heal and prolong my life. It is down to every single person that has donated that I will get the opportunity to take this alternative healing route.

“Since starting out my research I have spoken to ladies that have taken this route and they have had great success and they are still here to tell their tale. I have never felt the hope that I feel right now.

“Your support has been truly overwhelming. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone that has donated so far.”