A 42-YEAR-old mum has been given the devastating news that she has cancer after not being able to get a doctor's appointment during lockdown.

Brindusa (Brenda) Chirila, from Lymm, is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, which spread to her liver throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The mum-of-one spent months trying to book an appointment with her doctor, but it was only when her condition worsened and an ambulance had to be called that she found out the severity of her situation.

Now, Brenda's friend and colleague, Sue Dempsey, has set up a fundraising page to help the family financially.

Sue explained: "Brenda started with pain in about February or March.

"It was more of a dull pain at the time and it wasn’t until April she started trying to get a doctors appointment.

"Because of Covid she just kept being told there were no appointments, but she did in the end get a telephone appointment.

"She was given laxatives and with hindsight, you don’t give laxatives to someone who has got a tumour blocking their intestine.

"One night her husband had to call an ambulance when her pain was too much to bare.

"She was finally seen and over the next couple of weeks, after having scans and test, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer which has spread to her liver.

"The tumour had been growing and growing during lockdown - if only she'd been seen earlier and the pandemic hadn't impacted her trying to get an appointment."

Brenda finally had an operation in August, originally to remove the tumour.

Surgeons found it was too big to be removed, so she has since started chemotherapy in an effort to shrink the tumour and stop it spreading.

"Brenda is like no other friend I’ve ever had and now she’s facing the biggest fight of her life," Sue added.

"She has a beautiful 11-year-old daughter and a truly wonderfully supportive husband, however she’s had to stop working now and is only getting Statutory Sick Pay.

"She won’t be strong enough or well enough to work for a while and I don’t want her worrying about money at a time like this.

"I don’t want her worrying about where the money is coming from to pay their bills or buy her daughter's Christmas presents.

"They are truly wonderful people and in this dark and scary time of their lives, would you please help me to keep a little light shining for them and make the next six to 12 months as worry free as possible."

To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/trying-to-make-life-a-little-bit-easier.