‘I want to live. I have to. My babies need me.’
A Cwmbran mum-of-two with incurable cancer is raising funds for private surgery. She wants nothing more than to be there to see her babies grow up.(Image: Carrie Brown)
A Welsh mum fighting incurable cancer says a surgery you can only get privately in England could be the only chance she has to see her two young sons grow up. Carrie Brown, 35, was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer in 2022, just 10 months after giving birth to her son Jaxon. Her first-born son Maxwell was just two years old at the time.
Carrie endured round after round of chemotherapy. With her strength and the support of her family, especially her husband Michael, 38, she got the all clear, she was cancer free and in remission. Though, devasting news soon followed.
After giving birth to Jaxon, Carrie started experiencing symptoms such as throwing up, severe back pain, and a change in bowel habits. She lost four stone in 10 months, but she wasn’t trying to lose any weight. Doctors did not appear as concerned however – so they put it down to post-partem.
“I had already had a baby so I knew it wasn’t normal. I did not have any faecal matter tests, no scans, all I was getting was painkillers for my back,” said Carrie. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
Carrie with her sons Maxwell and Jaxon(Image: Carrie Brown)
Then in August 2025, Carrie began experiencing severe, debilitating pain and was admitted to hospital, where she spent six weeks undergoing treatment. After extensive tests and scans, Carrie was sent in for emergency surgery to relieve a build up of fluid in her abdomen (ascites).
While operating on Carrie, doctors confirmed her bowel cancer had returned, meaning it was now stage four. They had found cancer cells in her peritoneum, hiding inside an ovarian cyst.
Carrie is currently undergoing chemotherapy, but has been told her cancer is incurable.(Image: Carrie Brown)
“When they told me, I thought, you know, this must be it then – I’m going to die,” said Carrie, “It’s the most horrific feeling.”
Devastatingly, Carrie was then told that this time, her cancer is incurable. But, that there might be a chance to prolong her life, just not on the NHS, and for a whopping £75,000.
Carrie and her family are now fundraising for a specialist procedure called HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy), which is not currently offered on the NHS.
The complex operation involves bathing the abdominal cavity in heated chemotherapy during surgery, with the aim of destroying remaining cancer cells and extending survival.
Carrie said: “I have seen people have this surgery and it has cured their cancer, and for many it prolongs their life and allows them to manage the cancer like it were a chronic illness or disease.
“I would simply do anything to watch my boys grow up. I want to see them do all the things we have spoken about and dreamt of. They are my entire world.
Family photo
“My family will tell you that all I ever wanted in life was to be a mother and a wife. My life is perfect — it’s everything I dreamed of and more.
“When you get told you are going to die, you can’t help but think of every single thing you are going to miss.
“I am very much a positive person. If I ever get upset I will allow myself to feel all the emotions and then I can move on. Though it can be hard.
“My husband is fantastic. If I am every having a bad day, or feeling down, he says ‘we will fight it, it’s not going to kill you’. He never lets me fester in those feelings.”
The family, from Cwmbran, say this money and the surgery could give Carrie a second chance at life – a chance to see her children turn into teenagers, then adults and a chance to grow old with Michael, just as they had always planned.
“After going through what we have been through as a family, you definitely start to look at life so differently. You have to make the most of every day.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the cost, and so far, more than £51,000 had already been raised. You can donate here.
Carrie said: “Any amount, no matter how small, really does help, because all those small kindnesses add up.
“I want to live. I have to. My babies need me.”
If you want to hear more of Carrie’s story and updates as she endeavours on this journey, you can follow her Instagram page, @carrie.kicking.cancers.ass.