East Lothian news: Prestonpans family's heartbreaking appeal after mum's devastating terminal cancer diagnosis

East Lothian family appeal to keep family going after heartbreaking diagnosis

A Prestonpans family has been left devastated after a mother of five went to the doctors with a bad back and was told she had terminal cancer. Jane Turner was diagnosed only six weeks ago and was last week told her condition is incurable, with her family believing she only has “days to live”.

The 42-year-old had worked in the retail shop at Seton Sands Holiday Park but has had to quit due to her health, and her husband David is the full-term carer for their five year-old son Carter, who has cerebral palsy, leaving them with no income to support him and their other sons Ryan, Jay, Aiden and Jack.

Her son Ryan, from Pinkie in Musselburgh, revealed the terrifying and rapid deterioration of his mum’s health. The 26-year-old said: “It’s hard to take in. Especially this quickly. She went to the doctor six weeks ago with a sore back and they told her to go to the hospital. They thought it was her gallbladder, but then after she had tests they said it was cancer. She was quite fit and active but the cancer has taken over her life very quickly. The doctors said it was a rapid cancer that they can’t do anything about. They offered her chemotherapy and she accepted, but the doctors said she is not strong enough to do it.”

Jane Turner, 42, from Prestonpans, who has terminal cancer.

Jane’s family are now desperately trying to raise money, with one of her five sons also without pay after a doctor signed him off work for six weeks due to stress caused by the earth-shattering news about his mum. Ryan’s partner Amy Hunter is trying to raise as much money as possible for the devastated family with an online fundraiser.

The 34-year-old said: “It’s a busy household so this fundraiser will help pay the bills. They have no income. We want to raise as much money as possible. My partner has had to take time off work due to stress and his work has said he will not be paid. We have got kids too so we are also struggling. I just want to raise money to support the family during this heartbreaking time.

"It’s just tragic. Six weeks ago Jane did a shift at work and had a sore back, and now we are just taking each day as it comes, it’s just really hard. She is dying before our eyes. She is just so weak and gets worse every day. We think she has just days to live. It’s just such an unbelievable situation.”