NEED TO KNOW
U.K. mother Sam Butler, who already had her leg amputated to the knee, will soon undergo a risky three-part spinal surgery
Butler has been undergoing the surgeries to remove cancerous giant cell tumors (GCTs)
Only 4% of GCTs become malignant cancers, according to the Cleveland Clinic
A U.K. mother has been facing a rare cancer diagnosis for six years, and will soon undergo yet another high-risk surgery after having her leg amputated.
Sam Butler, who is the mother of a seven-year-old daughter named Florence, was initially diagnosed with giant cell tumors (GCTs) in 2020. Butler, 41, who is from London’s Bexleyheath neighborhood, has undergone five surgeries on her legs alone, including an amputation of her leg up to above her right knee, Daily Mail reports.
Giant cell tumors are typically non-cancerous, with only 4% of the tumors becoming malignant cancers, according to Cleveland Clinic. This makes Butler’s diagnosis incredibly rare.
Now, Butler will soon undergo the final procedure in a three-part spinal surgery to remove growths in the area, according to a GoFundMe to assist with her medical expenses that was created by her sister Jodie King.
“Nothing can prepare you for watching someone you love in intensive care on a ventilator, learning how to breathe again after their lungs were punctured and their aorta was nicked during surgery,” King wrote in the GoFundMe description. “Or for seeing them fight through months of recovery, relearning how to walk, only to later face losing a limb.”
“The strength, resilience, and courage Sam has shown throughout all of this has been incredible,” King added.
While Butler told Daily Mail that doctors initially told her not to worry about the tumors on account of her age, they later told her that the tumors on her spine would have been “inoperable” had she postponed seeking treatment and surgery.
Butler told the outlet that she has undergone chemotherapy between her operations.
“She’s such a young, beautiful, outgoing girl. I can’t imagine losing a limb to cancer, it’s such a major life adjustment,” King told the outlet of her sister. “As my sister we have a really close bond and it’s absolutely harrowing. Sam is very depressed and feels lonely and isolated. We feel utterly helpless because there is only so much you can do.”
Sam Butler
Credit: GoFundMe
King told the outlet that her sister’s cancer is “incurable” and that her sister is on medication for as much pain management as possible. She also said that doctors allegedly told Butler that her cancer will likely return in a year even post-surgery.
“How many times can you get knocked down before you give up?” King told Daily Mail. “I have no idea how she’s coping, but she is.”
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“Our greatest hope is to help Sam find her way back to the person she has always been – the loving, funny, vibrant soul we all adore,” the GoFundMe description reads. “Recovery is not just physical; it takes strength, belief, and motivation, and every kind word, message, and show of support helps more than you can imagine.”
As of publication, the GoFundMe raised £21,605 of its £24,000 goal.
Read the original article on People