A Hitch In Time

Help can come from the most unexpected quarters.  Just ask Nicola Hitchen.  Earlier this year the 41 year old was told by doctors that there was nothing more that could be done to treat her stage four cervical cancer.  The school administrator however refused to give up without a fight.  The mother of two did her research and came across a pioneering chemotherapy treatment in Turkey.  After five 10-day sessions at the oncology centre in Istanbul her aggressive tumour had been significantly reduced while secondary tumours had also shrunk considerably, one in her lungs even vanished completely.  ‘In 10 days, I went from being on six or seven different painkillers a day to not needing any,’ said Nicola.  ‘It was amazing.’  But having already spent £80,000 on the therapy, Mrs Hitchen needed another £50,000 to finish the course.  Step up Mrs Hitchen.  Not Nicola Hitchen from Chester, but Clare Hitchen, the second wife of Andy, Nicola’s ex, who launched an online appeal to raise the £50,000.  Soon £30,000 had been donated, enough for Nicola to return to The ChemoThermia Centre, which uses a pioneering combination of treatments to blast tumours.  ‘She has returned to commence her next round of treatment made possible by kind donations from friends, family and strangers from all over the world,’ said Clare.  ‘Niki, the boys, Niki’s mum Helena and step-dad Bruce along with myself and Andy have been overwhelmed by the love, support and kind messages coming through.  It has really shown that, in this world we live in, there are still so many kind and caring people who have united in their support to help a loving mother overcome cancer and be there for her children.  We thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts.’  As for Nicola, she said: ‘The support I’ve been given has been phenomenal, not just from my family but from complete strangers too. I didn’t think people liked me that much’.  You better believe it Mrs Hitchen, Nicola that is.