Keelie Towler, a young mother from Wakefield, is issuing an urgent appeal for support as she seeks toraise £70,000 for life-extending treatment in Mexico, after being given the devastating news that her cancer has returned and is now terminal. Keelie's wants to get more precious time with her son, who tragically witnessed his father's death two years ago.
Back in 2020, Keelie and her husband Scott were overjoyed by the birth of their son Rupert, but their happiness was short-lived when Keelie discovered a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer. Keelie told NeedtoKnow: "(When I first noticed the lump), I thought it would be something simple. I honestly expected the doctor to send me home with reassurance. When they said it could be cancer, my whole body just went numb. I didn't hear anything else after that. All I could think about was my little boy."
After enduring seven months of treatment, surgery, 13 rounds of chemotherapy, and 15 radiotherapy sessions, Keelie was elated to be cancer-free in late 2022. With renewed hope, Keelie and her family decided to sell their house and purchase a larger one, eager to make the most of their time together.
READ MORE: 'My sister thought lumps under her arms were swollen glands - she died on Sunday'
READ MORE: 'I was fit and healthy until I noticed cough that led to devastating diagnosis
She said: "After everything we'd been through, it finally felt like we could breathe. We were excited to move forward – just the three of us. It felt like the start of a new chapter, and I genuinely thought the worst was behind us."
In a heart-wrenching turn of events in 2023, 33 year old Scott tragically died from a blood clot in their new home, in front of her and their two-year-old son. Keelie shared: "It was traumatising. He was the love of my life. One minute we were talking, the next he was gone. I had to stay strong for Rupert, but inside I was shattered."
As Keelie attempted to piece together life without Scott, she began suffering from headaches and coordination issues. She said: "I just didn't feel right. At first, I thought it was stress or grief, but then it got worse. I couldn't ignore it anymore – I knew something wasn't right."
Almost a year after Scott's death, Keelie's health took another hit when a hospital visit for what she believed was a pulled muscle led to the discovery that her cancer had returned, now invading her brain too.
Gamma knife treatment, a precise form of radiation therapy, initially seemed promising and Keelie's tumour began to shrink with the treatment. However, relief was short-lived as new symptoms emerged and further scans revealed the cancer's aggressive return, perilously close to a major artery this time.
Despite undergoing surgery in February 2025, Keelie suffered a stroke during the operation, resulting in paralysis on her right side and loss of speech. A subsequent scan delivered more grim news: the cancer had regrown, undoing the surgeons' efforts.
Keelie has been given a heart-wrenching prognosis of just 12 to 18 months to live. She has already made plans for her son Rupert to be looked after by her mum, Colleen, and stepdad, Steve, should the worst happen.
But Keelie has not lost hope and is fiercely determined to raise £70,000 for potentially life-extending treatment in Mexico, driven by her desire to create lasting memories with her five year old son Rupert.
The Wakefield resident shared her deepest wish: "I just want to see my little boy grow up. He's already lost his dad – I don't want him to lose me too. I wake up every morning wondering how long I've got left – but I won't stop fighting for him."
