Widower helps raise awareness and funds after losing his wife to rare form of breast cancer

Darshana Nagar, who ran The Teahouse at Carr Bank Park, Mansfield, lost her battle with cancer in September 2022 when she was 47-years-old, and since her passing, her husband, Sandip, has been helping raise funds and awareness of the rare Phyllodes tumour which she was diagnosed with.

And so far nearly £40,000 has been raised.

Sandip said: “I set up a JustGiving charity page to help raise funds to support research into this terrible disease.

“Her diagnoses and initial treatment was at City Hospital Nottingham but unfortunately, the hospital didn't know too much of the type of cancer my wife had, and treated it as normal breast cancer.

“After having the lump removed, and denied a mastectomy, the lump returned three months later.

“She had to have an emergency mastectomy, and further scans showed the tumours had spread. She had lumps removed from her lungs and initial chemotherapy was started.

“During this difficult time, my wife did her own research and came to understand that this cancer was Phyllodes. There was only one hospital at the time that was aware of this cancer, University College Hospital London (UCHL).

“A specialist oncologist, Dr Ahmed, was her lifeline. He took over her care and all her treatment was moved to London.

“Anyone suffering Phyllodes are told clearly that their life is significantly reduced, due to the type of cancer and how it attacks the body.

“Darshana was given the strongest chemotherapy that is known to help this cancer.

“She was given various scans and regular checks to keep a close eye on her journey, but she was not given a brain scan.

“She lived another seven weeks and sadly passed away at Hayward House Hospice, Nottingham, on Saturday, September 24, 2022.”

Now Sandip is helping to raise more awareness about the Phyllodes tumour.

The JustGiving page was closed on January 7, with a total of £39,100 raised.

He said: “Every penny, less JustGiving fees, will be going direct to the registered charity set up for Phyllodes Research at UCHL.

“There is an additional £10,000 coming from another private donor which will also go the the charity.

"Thank you to everyone in the community that supported and donated either directly at The Teahouse on via the charity JustGiving link.”