I lost the love of my life to a blood clot when he died aged 33 – now I've been given a year left to live
She now fears her son will have to deal with the loss of a second parent, and is desperately trying to raise money to treat her condition to give her more time.
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Keelie was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2021.
When the 36-year-old from Wakefield first noticed a lump, she thought it would be something simple.
She said: "I honestly expected the doctor to send me home with reassurance.
"When they said it could be cancer, my whole body just went numb.
"I didn't hear anything else after that.
"All I could think about was my little boy.
"I remember sitting in the waiting room trying to stay calm, but deep down I knew something was wrong."
When first diagnosed, Keelie immediately began treatment with seven months of chemotherapy followed by surgery.
This was followed by another 13 rounds of chemo and 15 sessions of radiotherapy.
Following her gruelling treatment plan and many setbacks, Keelie finally received good news – the cancer had responded.
Brave rodeo queen influencer dies at just 22 after being diagnosed with cancer when hit on leg with a football
With things looking up, the mum and her partner, Scott, decided to sell their home and buy a bigger house, ready to settle into family life with Rupert.
She said: 'After everything we'd been through, it finally felt like we could breathe.
'We were excited to move forward – just the three of us.
'It felt like the start of a new chapter, and I genuinely thought the worst was behind us.'
'One minute we were talking, the next he was gone'
But heartbreak struck again when Scott suddenly collapsed at home and passed away from a blood clot at the age of 33.
Keelie and Rupert, then just two years old, were both there when it happened.
She said: 'It was traumatising. He was the love of my life.
'One minute we were talking, the next he was gone.
'I had to stay strong for Rupert, but inside I was shattered.'
Despite the devastating loss, Keelie continued to rebuild her and her son's lives – until more health concerns crept in.
She began suffering from symptoms she couldn't ignore, including persistent headaches and coordination problems.
She said, 'I just didn't feel right.
'At first, I thought it was stress or grief, but then it got worse.
'I couldn't ignore it anymore – I knew something wasn't right.'
Cancer returned
In January 2024, she went to the hospital with what she believed was a pulled muscle in her chest.
But a routine scan revealed the cancer had spread to her brain.
At first, doctors hoped gamma knife treatment – a form of targeted radiation – might help.
And for a while, the tumour began to shrink as Keelie clung to the hope that the treatment was working.
But months later, she started experiencing new symptoms and returned for another scan.
The results were crushing – the cancer had begun growing again.
She said: 'I felt like the rug had been pulled from under me all over again.
'I'd let myself believe it was finally going the right way, hearing it was growing again just broke me.
'It was like reliving the original diagnosis, but this time I knew what it meant – and that was the scariest part.'
Despite the tumour being dangerously close to a major artery, surgeons agreed to operate.
Keelie underwent brain surgery in February 2025 but suffered a stroke during the procedure, which left her unable to move the right side of her body or speak.
Sadly, by the time her follow-up scan came around, the tumour had already grown back.
Doctors have now told her the cancer is terminal and she has just 12 to 18 months to live.
If the worst happens, Rupert will be cared for by Keelie's mum, Colleen, and stepdad, Steve.
But his mum is doing everything she can to make memories with him now while trying to raise money for the treatment in Mexico.
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Cancer recurrence
CANCER recurrence is when cancer comes back after a period of remission, meaning it was undetectable or no longer causing symptoms.
It can reappear in the same location as the original tumour (local recurrence) or in a different part of the body (distant recurrence).
Recurrence happens because some cancer cells may survive treatment and remain dormant before multiplying again.
Understanding cancer recurrence
Local recurrence: The cancer returns in the same area where it was first diagnosed.
Regional recurrence: The cancer comes back in the lymph nodes near the original tumour site.
Why cancer might come back
Undetectable cells: Some cancer cells might evade treatment and remain hidden in the body.
Resistance to treatment: Cancer cells can become resistant to chemotherapy or radiation, allowing them to survive and grow.
Spread before treatment: Cancer cells may have already spread to other parts of the body before the initial diagnosis and treatment, even if they weren't detected.
Recognising recurrence
Symptoms similar to initial cancer: Pain, lumps, changes in bowel or bladder habits, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, persistent cough, etc.
New symptoms: Swollen lymph nodes, bone pain, shortness of breath, etc.
Regular check-ups: Follow-up appointments with your doctor and scans help detect recurrence early.
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