WHEN it was announced earlier this month that approval had been given for the NHS to prescribe a new drug to breast cancer patients it was welcomed by campaigners throughout England and Wales.
Sadly, the good news came too late for a Denbighshire mother.
The day before the announcement regarding the drug Trodelvy was made, Louise Swain-Hughes passed away at Glan Clwyd Hospital.
This Thursday, July 28, the 34-year-old’s funeral service will be held at St Mary’s Church, Rhuddlan, where, only 10 weeks ago, she married her fiancé Matt and their baby, Iwan, then only seven months old, was christened.
Then on August 4 Rhuddlan Golf Club, where she was once one of the outstanding young players, will hold “A Day for Louise”.
Organised by club officials as well as Matt and her older brother Greg, it is expected to raise up to £10,000 for cancer charities.
Louise and Matt, from Denbigh, had originally planned to marry in 2020 but shelved their plans because of the Covid pandemic, and set a new date this September.
Their plans were thrown into turmoil, however, when, while six months pregnant, she found a lump on her breast which quickly grew to the size of a golfball.
She was assured that “there was nothing to worry about” but rang the breast clinic again when she noticed changes to her nipple and feared that she might not be able to breast-feed her baby.
After an ultrasound and biopsy she received her cancer diagnosis, which she later described as “the most surreal experience”.
“You never expect to hear the words ‘you have cancer’, let alone when you’re six months pregnant,” she said.
A multi-disciplinary team confirmed that earlier scans had not revealed anything untoward, meaning that the cancer had developed extremely quickly.
She was scheduled for six months of chemotherapy, followed by a mastectomy, taking every possible precaution to protect her baby, and apart from extreme tiredness and losing her hair she suffered no side-effects.
Iwan was born on October 28 last year but in January a CT scan revealed that the cancer had spread to several bones in her body, and then, in March, to her liver.
She described that news as “one of the darkest moments I’ve had”, but praised the hospital staff for their support.
The family became aware that the drug Trodelvy could extend the lives of patients with her particular strain of cancer which affects many women under 40.
However, though it was available in Scotland, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) had not approved it for NHS use in England Wales.
She and Matt were advised to bring forward their wedding date.
Louise was keen to obtain the drug to extend her time with baby Iwan, for her own sake and for her family.
The charity Breast Cancer Now ran a campaign calling for it to be made available and Louise’s family enlisted the support of Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies, a former GP.
Louise was aware that NICE’s decision was imminent, and it finally came on July 14, the day after she passed away.
It is not yet known, however, when it will actually be used within the NHS.
A couple of months ago Louise, who also received care at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, remained hopeful that Trodelvy would be available to her.
“There are so many people in the same position as me and that makes me incredibly sad,” she said.
In a Facebook posting, her brother Greg said: “It is with a broken heart that I have to announce that my beautiful and brave sister Louise Swain-Hughes unfortunately lost her battle with cancer last Wednesday evening (13th).
"She was very peaceful in the end and was surrounded by her family.”
Cradling a happy, smiling Iwan in his lap, Matt said: “She remained so positive right to the end. I don’t know how she did it.”
The fundraising event at Rhuddlan Golf Club had been planned before her death and has now taken on a greater significance.
Teams are still applying to take part and holes are being sponsored. There will also be an auction.
“We had originally hoped to raise about £2,000 but it looks like being several times that,” said Greg.
Among those it is hoped will compete are teams from North Wales Police as Louise’s father Godfrey and his two brothers Maldwyn and Neville, as well as their father, were all police officers.
Godfrey said that Louise first started playing golf as the age of seven or eight and took to it immediately.
She went on to represent Flintshire and North Wales before going to university and to work as a civilian with the City of London Police and later the Ministry of Justice.
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