Edinburgh mum Nina Lowe who has terminal cancer relieved after raising £52,000 for young daughters

A single mum with terminal cancer said she has found ‘so much peace’ and comfort knowing her daughters won’t be forced to move from their home after strangers helped her raise more than £52,000.

Nina Lowe was devastated when she was told in January that she had just months to live.

The 46-year-old is receiving palliative care through St Columba's Hospice and has praised the care from doctors and nurses.

The heartbroken mum who said she has thought of ‘about a million ways to say goodbye’ has been racked with worry about how her daughters Lilia, 15, and Sofia, 10, will cope after she’s gone.

Nina with Lilia 15 and Sofia 10

Nina said: “I don’t want to think about how short the time I have may be, but I have a feeling it’s not very long left.”

“My girls are my world. I get so sad seeing how my cancer has affected them, but they are both incredibly strong.

“As a single parent, my only worry is my girls. All I wish for when I pass away, is that they have some sort of stability during their grieving process, and that they are able to stay in our current rented flat for as long as possible.

“I would be utterly heartbroken if the girls had to move away from everything they know, just after losing me.”

Nina was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and has endured harsh chemotherapy and radiation treatment, followed by reconstruction surgery.

She was dealt a further blow when cancer was found in her lungs the following year and also to her kidney.

After more than a dozen different chemotherapy treatments, Nina was told it wasn’t working.

She said: “It felt like the chemo was killing me quicker than the cancer. My body went through so much I was bed bound constantly.”

Nina admits she finds it hard to ask for help but with fears of what her daughters’ futures might hold hanging over her, Nina decided to set up a fundraiser to cover their rent for six months while their dad, who lives down south, finds work in the area.

Now, after 1,200 donations raised more than £52,000, Nina is relieved that she has money to pass down to her girls.

She said she was left speechless and ‘amazed’ after donations poured in.

And she has hope for their future knowing that they have enough to buy their own home one day - something she missed out on.

Her best friend Lisa is the beneficiary of the fundraiser and will help organise trust funds for the girls.

Nina added: “I didn’t even think I would be able to raise the amount I was looking for to cover rent. I have been crying happy, shocked tears. It’s amazing.

“I am hoping they will keep it till they are a bit older and use it as a deposit on a flat. I missed out on buying my own place, as when I was diagnosed, I could no longer get any type of mortgage.

“Thank you to everyone for the donations. I am super grateful. I was embarrassed about having nothing to leave them money wise, so this has just given me so much peace.”