Dying mother-of-three, 37, celebrates Christmas early with her children to 'make memories' for the last time after being given two weeks to live

  • Sara Mclaughlin, 37, from Manchester, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016
  • The mum-of-three underwent treatment but found in 2017 disease was terminal 
  • September 6 she visited hospital with neck pain and was given 2 weeks to live
  • Is celebrating a last Christmas with children Kasey, 19, Kai, 11, and Kian, four

By Jessica Rach For Mailonline

Published: 05:11 EDT, 17 September 2019 | Updated: 05:22 EDT, 17 September 2019

A young mother has revealed how she will celebrate Christmas with her three children in September, after being just two weeks to live.

Sara Mclaughlin, 37, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman's risk of of breast cancer from 12 per cent to 90 per cent.

The mum-of-three, from Greater Manchester, underwent extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy but by 2017 the disease had spread to her neck and lymph nodes, and was deemed terminal. 

On the 6 September Sara visited the hospital complaining of neck pain, and was told she was unlikely live for longer than two weeks as the cancer had wrapped itself around her jugular vein.

Tragically Sara will leave behind daughter Kasey, 19, Kai, 11, and Kian, four, along with her long term partner Ste. 

Sara Mclaughlin, 37, has revealed how she will celebrate Christmas with her three children in September, after being just two weeks to live due to terminal cancer. Sara with son Kai [left] Kian [middle] partner Ste and daughter Casey [right]

Sara Mclaughlin, 37, has revealed how she will celebrate Christmas with her three children in September, after being just two weeks to live due to terminal cancer. Sara with son Kai [left] Kian [middle] partner Ste and daughter Casey [right]

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, brave Sara said: 'We are going to have Christmas morning with presents, followed by Christmas dinner and then in the evening we are going to have bonfire night too.'

She added: 'It's just a ticking time bomb now. To be honest, I am more scared for my kids than myself. I will take any pain the cancer throws at me but the worst bit was telling the kids.'

Admitting that her teenage daughter 'keeps asking' whether the cancer will go away, she said: 'I have to explain that's not going to happen'.

The mum-of-three was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene and underwent extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy but by 2017 (pictured with her daughterCasey) the disease had spread to her neck and lymph nodes, and was deemed terminal

The mum-of-three was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene and underwent extensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy but by 2017 (pictured with her daughterCasey) the disease had spread to her neck and lymph nodes, and was deemed terminal

On the 6 September Sara visited the hospital complaining of neck pain, and was told she was unlikely live for longer than two weeks as the cancer had wrapped itself around her jugular vein. She is pictured with partner Ste and son Kian

On the 6 September Sara visited the hospital complaining of neck pain, and was told she was unlikely live for longer than two weeks as the cancer had wrapped itself around her jugular vein. She is pictured with partner Ste and son Kian

In a further blow to the family, Sara's mother has also been diagnosed with terminal cancer after testing positive with the BRCA gene.

Sara's friend Carly Prady has started a Go Fund Me page for the family, to help with their last Christmas.

In a heartbreaking statement on the page, she writes: 'My friend doesn’t want to die, she is young and doesn’t want to leave her kids behind as she loves them too much.

Seen: Sara with family and friends celebrating Christmas early. They will have Christmas morning with presents, followed by Christmas dinner and then in the evening a bonfire night

Seen: Sara with family and friends celebrating Christmas early. They will have Christmas morning with presents, followed by Christmas dinner and then in the evening a bonfire night

Sara with her two sons Kai (11) and Kian (4) when her youngest was a newborn - one year before her diagnosis

Sara with her two sons Kai (11) and Kian (4) when her youngest was a newborn - one year before her diagnosis

'But cancer doesn’t give a s*** and will take her anyway. 

'Christmas is coming and she won’t be here so I’m raising money not just for toys or Christmas, I’m raising money for her partner and her kids to take the pressure off at such a horrible time'.

So far the page has raised £2,153 - twice its £1,000 target - and has been inundated with supportive comments.  

Sara with son Kian. She said telling her children she only had weeks to live was the most heartbreaking part of the diagnosis

Sara with son Kian. She said telling her children she only had weeks to live was the most heartbreaking part of the diagnosis

What is the BRCA gene and how does it affect people's risk of cancer? 

Having a mutated BRCA gene - as famously carried by Angelina Jolie - dramatically increases the chance a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, from 12 per cent to 90 per cent. 

Between one in 800 and one in 1,000 women carry a BRCA gene mutation, which increases the chances of breast and ovarian cancer. 

Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that produce proteins to suppress tumours. When these are mutated, DNA damage can be caused and cells are more likely to become cancerous.  

The mutations are usually inherited and increase the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer significantly.    

When a child has a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes they have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutations.  

About 1.3 per cent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer, this increase to 44 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation. 

 

 

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Sara Mclaughlin celebrating Christmas early after being given two weeks to live due to cancer 

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