A devoted NHS nurse and mother-of-two is confronting what could be her final Christmas after pain she initially attributed to breastfeeding her son was diagnosed as terminal cancer.
From Discomfort to Devastating Diagnosis
Angel Madu, aged 39 and from Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, described herself as "healthy as a horse" when she first felt discomfort in her chest in December 2022. Assuming it was related to breastfeeding or work stress, the A&E nurse initially dismissed her symptoms.
When the pain persisted weeks later, she visited her GP as a precaution. She was swiftly referred to a breast clinic and, within the same week, received the shocking diagnosis of stage two breast cancer. Angel subsequently underwent surgery and chemotherapy in her fight against the disease.
A Rapid and Heartbreaking Progression
In a cruel turn in 2024, the cancer metastasised aggressively, spreading to her liver, lungs, bones, and lymph nodes. This progression rapidly advanced her condition to incurable stage four cancer. The mother exhausted every available NHS treatment option in her battle to stay alive for her two young children, aged four and eight.
Earlier this month, Angel and her husband, Henry Okoye, 40, received the devastating news that no further NHS treatments were available to her. Medics told her she may have only days to weeks left to live.
"How do you comprehend being told you are going to die?" Angel said. "My fear is leaving my beautiful children without a mother. It was a shock. I am trying to be positive and focus on the hope as I still have breath. Every day is a blessing. I am not giving up on the fight."
A Leap of Faith for a Final Chance
Refusing to give up, Angel has now secured a last-ditch opportunity for specialist treatment in Mexico. She and her husband have taken a monumental gamble, booking flights for 23rd December and entrusting their children to relatives, sacrificing what could be her last Christmas with them.
The year-long treatment programme carries a staggering £75,000 price tag and requires full payment upfront. A fundraising campaign launched by her church has raised over £30,000 so far, leaving a significant shortfall with urgent deadlines.
"We were lucky to get a space for this year, but the only downside is that you have to pay everything before they start," Angel explained. "That is where the urgency and desperation lies right now. It blows my mind the number of people that I don't even know who have donated. We have taken a leap of faith."
Friend and fundraiser organiser Gemma Gardener, 44, highlighted Angel's selfless nature as an NHS frontline worker during the Covid-19 pandemic. "She is a nurse of 15 years, so she is always helping everyone," Gemma said. "She has given so much to the world, and it is time that the world gives something back."
