Terminally-ill mother's money raising battle

Terminally-ill mother of five Sue Stephenson

A terminally-ill mother is battling to raise enough money to ensure her five children can stay in their home after she dies. Sue Stephenson, 47, raised her children in a four-bedroom house in the village of Ripponden, Halifax, which has a £65,000 mortgage remaining on it. Her dying wish is that the mortgage is paid off, allowing her children - who are aged between nine and 21 - to remain living there.

Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago, and was told last month that the disease had spread to her bones and liver. Now bed-bound, with very limited movement, Sue thanked generous friends and strangers who have donated to the mortgage fund.

'I am overwhelmed by people's kindness,' she said.

The appeal was started by Sue's sister, Angie, who set up a crowdfunding page asking for donations. To date, nearly £60,000 has been raised from donations, and the fund gains by thousands of pounds every day.

When the crowdfunding page was first started, Sue, who worked as a midwife for twenty years, said: “It means so much to me that this money is raised. I just want the children to be together. Thank you for your help and thank everyone for their help and donations.”

Sue is being cared for by sons Cameron, 21, Connor, 19, twins Jemima and Emily, 18, and Wilf, just nine.

“Mum is shattered and there are times, especially in the quiet of the night, that I think she wants to slip away," said Cameron. "As I sit with her, she turns and asks, 'Is the mortgage sorted yet?'

”Mum has had her fight and is at peace with what is happening but but she won't leave us until she knows we are going to be okay - being the brilliant mum she is to the very last,“ he said.

Sue was determined to take the family on a final holiday to the south of France last month, where the photograph was taken which appears on the family's Crowdfunding page.

Anyone wishing to help the family, can donate at their crowdfunding page https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/a-collinson