Julie Lillis from Whiteabbey in County Antrim was “so taken back” by the generous donation from the Destiny’s Child singer.
Singer Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child has donated an astounding £28K to help Antrim woman get life-saving treatment.
37-year-old Julie Lillis was diagnosed with incurable BRCA1 positive, triple-negative breast cancer in September 2020. Then, in October, Julie received the heartbreaking news that the cancer had spread, which massively reduced her life expectancy.
Specialist treatment – a life-saving drug
Julie underwent several cycles of chemotherapy and surgery. However, the cancer continued to spread.
According to a specialist consultant, Julie’s best chance of survival would be a drug showing promising results in clinical trials for the specific type of cancer she was diagnosed with.
However, the treatment is expensive, and Julie would have to urgently self-fund it. Little did the Antrim woman know she would soon receive a generous donation from Kelly Rowland to fund her life-saving treatment.
Fundraising lifeline – to afford the treatment
To enable her to fund the life-saving treatment, Julie’s friends and family encouraged her to start a GoFundMe page.
The Whiteabbey woman, who works as a TV production coordinator on shows such as Derry Girls, has previously raised over £10,000 to help others suffering with cancer.
Last October, Julie cycled over 300 km (186 miles) between five breast screening centres to raise money for cancer charities.
A surprise donation – a life-saving act of kindness
Just a week after setting up her GoFundMe page, the County Antrim woman received an unexpected donation from popstar Kelly Rowland to fund her life-saving treatment.
Rowland submitted the donation under her children’s names – Titan and Noah Weatherspoon.
Julie told Belfast Live she was not expecting the donation from the Destiny’s Child singer. She said, “It’s such an amazing act of kindness, so taken back by the donation.
“I’ve had donations from Australia, America, Switzerland and locally – I can’t believe how far my page has reached.
“I’m so grateful for each and every person who has helped.”
An expensive drug – not currently available on the NHS
Following the generous donation from Kelly Rowland for her life-saving treatment, the Antrim woman revealed she hopes the drug will become available on the NHS.
Her current fundraising target of £80,000 will only cover the cost of one year’s treatment. However, she will likely need the drug indefinitely.
The 37-year-old from Northern Ireland also wants to make sure that the drug is readily available for all those who may need it.
On her GoFundMe page, Julie revealed that she has remained hopeful since her diagnosis. She writes, “Hearing this unimaginable news completely floored me, but I scraped myself back up, remained hopeful and determined to do what I could to try and shrink the cancer and prolong my life. I am not ready to leave this world yet!”
Continuing, she reveals that she hopes her fundraiser will raise awareness of the illness for others. “If anything comes from this page, at the very least, I would like for more women and men to be aware of signs and symptoms, and if you notice any changes in your body, to act right away.”
