Brave woman with cancer against all odds still takes care of her kids (read and be inspired)

Terminally ill mother-of-six home schools her children while battling cancer with a superfood diet and A mother-of-six with terminal cancer is home schooling her youngest children and running her own charity all while battling the devastating disease.

Michelle Sherwood, 39, from Hirwaun, near Aberdare, South Wales, insists her diagnosis has given her a new lease of life despite doctors saying there's nothing more they can do for her.

The mother takes homeopathic remedies and is on a superfood diet to minimise the affects of the cancerous tumour at the base of her skull

 Michelle Sherwood, 39, from Hirwaun, near Aberdare, South Wales, was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare cancer of the secretory glands, and doctors say they have explored all treatment options

The former primary school teacher said: 'It sounds awful to say I’m grateful for the cancer and of course I would rather not have it at all.

'But the part that is positive is what has happened since my diagnosis. I have learnt so much about my body and the energy I have to achieve my goals is huge.

he started home schooling her children after taking her eldest child Brandon, now 20, out of mainstream classes due to bullying.

Michelle, who is a trained primary school teacher, felt the arrangement worked well and opted to educate all her children in the same way up until the age of 11. 

Eboni, 15, and Isabel, 12, now go to secondary school as Michelle is not qualified to take them beyond this point.

She said: 'I don’t want the kids to treat me any differently. To them I am just Mum - Mum who makes their dinners and gets them where they need to be. 

'When I have down days and I’m tired they are so good and considerate. To them, I’ve always had this cancer in me and so it doesn’t seem frightening.

'I don’t think they realise how serious it is this time and for that I’m quite glad.'

In 2008 Michelle was diagnosed with a rare Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and was given 30 sessions of radiotherapy which shrunk the tumour and allowed Michelle to live a normal life.

However in June 2014 doctors found secondary tumours in both lungs and that the tumour at the base of her skull had grown.

She started home schooling her children after taking her eldest child Brandon, now 20, out of mainstream classes due to bullying.

 

Michelle, who is a trained primary school teacher, felt the arrangement worked well and opted to educate all her children in the same way up until the age of 11. 

Eboni, 15, and Isabel, 12, now go to secondary school as Michelle is not qualified to take them beyond this point.

She said: 'I don’t want the kids to treat me any differently. To them I am just Mum - Mum who makes their dinners and gets them where they need to be. 

'When I have down days and I’m tired they are so good and considerate. To them, I’ve always had this cancer in me and so it doesn’t seem frightening.

'I don’t think they realise how serious it is this time and for that I’m quite glad.'

In 2008 Michelle was diagnosed with a rare Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma and was given 30 sessions of radiotherapy which shrunk the tumour and allowed Michelle to live a normal life.

However in June 2014 doctors found secondary tumours in both lungs and that the tumour at the base of her skull had grown.

She said: 'I was told by a doctor in Pittsburgh that due to the type of cancer I have, he could remove all the tumour in the brain area with a minimally invasive surgery.

'I cried when he told me because finally there was a glimmer of hope.

'The surgeon thinks I will have a 70 per cent chance of surviving another 20 years if I have this surgery. That’s better odds than anything I can find at home.'

The father of her six children, Jason Sherwood, 40, is putting money towards the operation and so are fundraisers in Michelle’s local community.

Michelle is also in the process of setting up a registered charity called Journeys and Discoveries.

She hopes to open a health and well-being center for people with a variety of illnesses to help them manage their nutrition and improve their symptoms.

She said: 'If I’m not teaching the kids, I’m whipping up a smoothie or planning fundraisers or working on my business plan.

'It’s non-stop but I have to keep fighting to be around for my kids. Giving up isn’t an option

Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.