Avastin will really help me live..why am I not allowed it? CANCER MUMS WHOSE LIVES DEPEND ON MIRACLE DRUG TREATMENT.

Byline: EXCLUSIVE By JILLY BEATTIE

DOLORES Connolly's chance of life is sitting in a laboratory in England waiting to be tested, waiting to be licensed.

But it could take an other year before the NHS will offer her the vital drug Avastin to fight her cancer and by then it may be too late for the mother-of-two.

So all Dolores can do is cope with the pain and nausea that have come with the nightmare diagnosis of bowel cancer and pray that her friends and family can raise the pounds 25,000 needed for a course of the miracle drug to be bought privately.

She said: "Our world was turned upside-down in a matter of days.

"In 26 years, the only time I had off work was when I had my two babies. Now I'm fighting for my life. I'm sick and tired and very, very frightened.

"But more than that, I'm frustrated and angry the drug that could really help is sitting somewhere in a clinic in England waiting to be tested for suitability.

"But those tests have already been successful in America and lots of countries across Europe.

"If Avastin works on those cancer patients and it's safe for them to use, then why not push the tests through here and help save some more lives in the UK and Ireland?

"It's ludicrous for life and death to be tied up in red tape, for families to be losing loved ones because of officialdom and paperwork."

Dolores, 45, an insurance administrator from Kildress, outside Cookstown, Co Tyrone, lives with her 43-year-old husband Tony and their two sons, Jonathon, nine and six-year-old Adam.

Their bungalow in the countryside has seen more visitors in the last nine weeks since Dorlores was diagnosed than it has in the 14 years since it was built.

Hundreds of cards from well-wishers are neatly placed on the mantelpiece and shelves, each one representing an other glimmer of hope for the Connolly family.

Dolores said: "We've taken a lot of strength from each of those cards, strength and hope, because we know that they were sent with best wishes and prayers for my full recovery.

"The support I've had from my husband and children, our families and the community of Kildress has been unbelievable and while I've so many people helping me fight this dreadful thing, I'll never give up."

Dolores' battle though could take a sudden and miraculous turn if she was able to start the course of Avastin that is available in the US and the rest of Europe but not in the UK. Avastin targets the blood supply to deadly cancerous cells, but does not affect the surrounding healthy tissue.

And while thousands of Americans and Europeans are being successfully treated with the drug, cancer patients in Northern Ireland are being told they cannot have it yet.

While they face a bleak future without it and the possibility of short, terrifying illnesses, the bosses at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence are telling them to hold on.

Tragically, the reality of "holding on" could prove fatal for many bowel cancer patients, most of whom are perfect candidates for Avastin.

Tony said: "Dolores thought she had appendicitis but a month after initially seeing the doctor she had to have surgery to remove a tumour from her bowel.

"But there are other problems and she must have chemotherapy now, too, to give her the greatest chance of full recovery.

"She was meant to start the chemo last week but we've been fundraising to try to buy a course of Avastin which needs to be taken during the chemotherapy course.

"We've an other 10 days to raise the money and get the drugs before Dolores must start her chemotherapy treatment.

"She already has her intravenous line ready in her arm and the sooner she can start the better.

"We're raising as much as possible and anything that isn't needed to help my wife complete her treatment will be used to help other patients who could use the drug."

FUNDRAISERS have already donated more than pounds 4,000 towards the campaign and are hoping to meet the target and help save Dolores' life.

She said: "I feel really rotten but it's hard to feel down when so many people are working so hard to help.

"The hardest parts so far have been telling our sons and our mothers, Rosaleen McNally and Nellie Connolly.

"Jonathon understands exactly what's going on, he's very bright for his age and he's been reading a lot about it.

"He seems happier that he knows the problems and what his daddy and I are doing to try to make things better.

"Adam, on the other hand, is just too young to grasp the seriousness of the situation and he just knows that mummy's not feeling very well. So they're both coping OK right now.

"But I found telling my mother the hardest thing I'd ever done. When I told her she just collapsed in tears across the kitchen table and sobbed.

"And while we've moments when we do feel sorry for ourselves, we've too much to do to get better for wasting time on self-pity.

"We're staying as positive as we can and we'll fight with all we have to help get over this and after that we've promised to do everything we can to help others get the access to the drugs they need to get better too."

Fundraiser Des Kennan said: "People who need drugs shouldn't be forced to buy them privately when they're about to be used on the NHS.

"I hope Dolores' story will give other people the strength to fight on and get the help they need."

In the meantime, the National Institute where the drug must be tested is still waiting for a response from the Department of Health regarding their recommendations for speeding up UK drug appraisal.

Donations can be made to The Dolores Connolly Appeal Fund or paid into the First Trust Bank, Cookstown, account number: 06706028, Sort Code: 938617.

For further information, Des Kennan can be contacted on 07768535626.

CAPTION(S):

HOPE: Dolores shows the intravenous line in her arm yesterday