This week, we’d like to help a single mum called Anna, who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Anna is 31 and is mum to a 3 year old girl and a 7 year old boy. About five years ago, she had two traumatic miscarriages and almost died. After she recovered, she struggled with anxiety and depression and fell into debt.

She got a job as a teaching assistant to try to support herself and the children, but they were still barely scraping by.

Anna said: “After I got a job at the school I was so hopeful for the future for me and the children, until I discovered a lump. After an urgent referral, 2 more lumps were found and confirmed as cancer and an MRI has picked up a third one now. I’ve tried to keep working but I’m all over the place.”

She is due to have a mastectomy next week. It will be a 7 hour surgery and Anna is petrified. She has severe anxiety and is struggling to sleep. When she does, she has nightmares. Her breast cancer nurse said the recovery from her surgery could be anywhere between 6 and 12 weeks. After that, she will start radiotherapy and other treatments.

“I’m only 31 and it feels like such a long road ahead. Sometimes I feel like giving up. I’m so scared of what the future holds for me and my children. My biggest fear is them being here without me. We don’t have much money and I try to eat as healthy as I can and buy vitamins but it’s pretty much impossible for me now.”

Anna was nominated by a family support worker, who could see that she was in need of help. Anna is uncomfortable about accepting support from a charity, and was in tears when she agreed to accept some help from us.

We’d like to help make the next few months as easy as possible for them. We've set up a wishlist with some things for Anna and the children, and will use your donations to help with anything else they need.