My twin sister was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer - it's heartbreaking watching her go through this
A Lancashire woman is raising money for her twin sister who was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer.
Emma Snape, from Leyland, initially thought she was suffering with the flu after becoming ill one afternoon in February.
But it transpired the 34-year-old was actually suffering from pneumonia when she went to hospital.
Months later, the mum-of-two was diagnosed with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) in July - a rare cancer that grows from the cells that make up the blood vessels.
Emma’s twin sister, Kym, said it was “heartbreaking to watch her go through this”.
“It’s technically a terminal diagnosis as there’s no cure for it,” she added.
“It’s been the hardest year.
“With her being my twin, it’s been so hard for me not being able to control this situation and make her better as she is literally my other half.”
EHE cancer can occur anywhere in the body with the most common sites being the liver, lungs, and bone.
It usually happens in people between 30 and 50 years of age but can also occur in young children and older people.
EHE is very rare, with only one in every one million people diagnosed with this cancer worldwide.
When Emma was diagnosed, doctors found 20 nodules in her lungs and more in her omentum - the fatty tissue that starts in your stomach and drapes over your intestines.
“Over the last six months Emma has shown more strength and resilience than I have ever seen in a person,” Kym said.
“Some days she is fine and others she will wake up in agony. She’s on a lot of pain relief and anti-sickness drugs.
“She’s fighting against this disease everyday whilst remaining the world’s best mummy to her two boys and partner.”
Kym has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for EHE Rare Cancer Charity (EHERCC) who are working hard to find a cure.
At the time of writing, more than £6,000 had been raised by the community.
Kym will also be running the Lancashire Loop Trail Run on Sunday, November 24 to raise vital funds.
She said: “I have taken control in the only way possible which is to learn about this disease and to raise money for critical research to take place in the hope of finding a cure.”
To donate to the GoFundMe page, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/find-a-cure-for-epithelioid-hemangioendothelioma-ehe