Cyprus Mail
Urgent plea to help save brain tumour sufferer
THE FAMILY and friends of a Paphos woman with life threatening melanoma are appealing to the public for help to raise money to send her for treatment in Germany next week.
Alethea Ayres, 35, the mother of a two-year-old boy, discovered only two weeks ago that her melanoma had spread to her brain.
Ayres had been suffering from severe headaches, dizzy spells and sickness. Doctors found seven tumours during a brain scan the day after she attended the Paphos Hearts of Gold ceremony as a nominee.
She was nominated for staging musical charity event to raise money for cancer charities, and for founding the Parenting In Cyprus website,
www.parentingincyprus.com, which offers parents advice and information.
Her sister Michelle Georgiou told the Cyprus Mail: “We are all shocked and devastated. Alethea had skin cancer (melanoma) and she received her last lot of radiotherapy in the summer. We were hoping she was clear.”
“Alethea’s melanoma had spread to her lymph nodes and is now present in her brain.” The tumours are spreading at an alarming rate and in the last two weeks have multiplied; she now has ten tumours.
“Doctors in Cyprus would give my sister five days intensive radio therapy on the whole of her brain which would target healthy brain cells as well, with a possibility of killing them off,” said Georgiou.
The family believe that treatment available in Germany offers a better alternative.
“In Germany, they will treat only the side of the brain which is affected and perform radiation therapy on each individual tumour at a time. This is done over a twenty day period.”
The treatment will cost €14,000 with a further €1,000 needed for accommodation.
“Obviously we are all trying to get as much money together as possible but we would really appreciate any help to try and get my sister this treatment.”
Ayres is hoping to travel to Germany next week.
A number of events are being organised to try to help to raise funds for Ayres and the Paphos People forum website has set up a Pay Pal account for those wishing to make donations.
Forum founder Neil Hart said: “I was ripped to bits when I found out about Alethea, I know her personally and she is such a lovely woman. We (PP forum) always try to do what we can to help the community and we will be organising events to raise money.”
