Bristol girl with dreams of becoming an illustrator to start chemo on 18th birthday

“Despite these challenges, Sandra remains determined to continue her education and achieve her dreams”

A bright A-Level student from Shirehampton was diagnosed with a brain tumour the size of an egg just four months before her 18th birthday. This month, Sandra Kaszubowska will turn 18 but the day will not be marked with a celebration but the start of her chemotherapy treatment.

Since having her tumour removed in June and discovering it was the result of a serious and aggressive form of brain cancer known as medulloblastoma, Sandra has relied on a wheelchair, lost the use of her right hand and found speech and daily tasks challenging.

As a result she has taken a year out of her education to undergo rehabilitation treatment. Her parents would like to raise £10,000 to pay for her rehabilitation, including physiotherapy, speech therapy and other support services.

On the fundraiser set up by Sandra’s parents they speak about the impact the tumour has had on their daughter and their hopes that she will fully recover and be able to go back to the life she had before the tumour was discovered.

“As a right-handed person, losing the use of her right hand has been particularly difficult, making tasks like writing and drawing - her greatest passions - impossible without assistance.

“Additionally, Sandra’s speech was affected, leaving her unable to speak for three weeks. She now requires intensive speech therapy to regain her voice. Sandra’s cognitive abilities have also been impacted, particularly her short-term memory, making learning and daily tasks much more challenging.

“Despite these challenges, Sandra remains determined to continue her education and achieve her dreams. Our goal is to help Sandra return to her studies, finish her A-levels, and continue pursuing her dream of becoming a book illustrator.”

You can donate to the fundraiser here .