York woman's bid to get married after fighting cancer for second time

Rebecca Porter from Wheldrake, was first diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma at the age of 20 and at the time she went through chemotherapy to try and beat the disease.

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Her fiancé, Kris, proposed to her and they looked to the future together and in June 2017 Rebecca was given the all clear. She hoped her life would get back to normal and she opened her own beauty business.

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But sadly, in 2021 Rebecca received another cancer diagnosis, this time it was Ewing Sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that affects bones or the surrounding tissue.

This meant everything in Rebecca's life was put on hold again, her business and her plans to marry Kris.

Rebecca has a passion for make-up and has been practising in between treatments (Image: Rebecca Porter)

"I had just got my career going and had clients and everything had to stop," said Rebecca.

"I sat in hospital in Leeds on my own for a week - because it was during the Covid restrictions I wasn't allowed to have anyone with me.

"When I was diagnosed with Ewing's it really started to get scary, I was overcome with worry about the diagnosis."

To compound matters further, Rebecca lost her grandmother, Rita Taylor, in April last year and her Border Terrier dog, Smudge, who had been with her through her treatment, also died.

Rebecca and her grandma Rita Taylor: She always supported me in everything I did. (Image: Rebecca Porter)

After undergoing treatment Rebecca had a scan in October and was at the point that it was nearly all gone, but following a second scan, she found out just before Christmas that there is a 1cm tumour in her chest, very close to her heart, which the hospital cannot treat with radiotherapy.

"I have agreed to undergo a clinical trial of chemotherapy for more treatment in order to try and treat the tumour," said Rebecca.

Rebecca with her mum and dad, Dianne and Trevor Porter (Image: Rebecca Porter)

The hospital have advised Rebecca that there is a very small chance of the treatment working and therefore she is wanting to get married to Kris in church with her family and friends around her.

Her friend, Vicky Harding, from Fulford, has been fundraising to try and help Rebecca since her first cancer diagnosis and now the focus has turned to the wedding.

She said: "In order to make the wedding happen at such short notice we are all pulling together to raise the money to help with the costs of the wedding. Any donations would be massively appreciated by Rebecca and her family and friends."

Vicky and Rebecca have been friends since the beginning of secondary school at Fulford and have a very close bond.

Rebecca said: "She's great is Vic, I have known her since Year 8 at secondary school, we have been through a lot in life together and we have both helped each other through some tough times."

A wedding date has been set for Saturday, February 18 at Wheldrake Church, followed by a reception at Burtonfields Hall at Stamford Bridge and preparations are well underway.

Vicky said: "We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the GoFundMe page - the response has already been incredible

"We are just looking for a car to get Rebecca to the church if possible now.

"Any money left over from the page will help Rebecca to rebuild her life when she comes out of the other side of her treatment."

To contact Rebecca and Vicky or to make a donation go to their GoFundMe page.