A Luton teenager is pleading with the public to help fund life-saving treatment for his mum, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
Gabriel Wereszko, aged 16, is preparing to sit his GCSEs at Lea Manor High School this summer in what should be a defining time in his life.
But instead he is watching his mum, Gosia, fight for her life after doctors confirmed that her cancer had spread aggressively to the lymph nodes in her neck, leaving her regularly short of breath due to fluid build-up in her lungs.
Gosia, a 38-year-old freelance social media executive, had already endured a double mastectomy and six major surgeries before this latest devastating blow.
Gabriel said: ’It’s hard to focus on school when I’m worried about my mum every day.
“I just want her to get the treatment she needs and not have to worry about money on top of everything else.
‘’She’s honestly the strongest person I’ve ever known. Even when she was in pain, she never stopped showing up for me. Now it’s her who needs the support.
“Seeing what she’s been through this past year has made me realise how much she holds together on her own. She deserves a break – she deserves a chance to heal.”
Gosia has spent the past year in and out of hospitals – recovering from multiple surgeries while juggling her studies on the BA Hons Media, Marketing & PR course at University of Bedfordshire as she fights to stay alive and afloat financially to build a future for her and Gabriel.
Since her stage 4 diagnosis in February, Gosia’s condition has worsened to such an extent that she now experiences difficulty breathing.
With limited resources, chemotherapy wasn’t an immediate option and it has only recently come into focus as the disease has progressed.
Gosia is also pursuing integrative and alternative therapies – such as high-dose vitamin C,hyperbaric oxygen and immune-supportive protocols – which offer hope but are not covered by the NHS so they come at a high cost.
Gosia, who is an advocate for empowering women via her Instagram account ‘@ohmygosha__’, explained the severe struggles she has faced.
“This past year has been the hardest year of my life – not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too,” she said.
‘’One of the hardest parts of this journey hasn’t just been the physical pain, it was losing the body I had worked so hard to reclaim.
“I had finally found embodiment, acceptance, even celebration of myself as a woman. I’ve always encouraged other women to love their bodies, to feel powerful in their skin.
“And then, piece by piece, mine was taken from me. The surgeries, the scars, the changes – they weren’t just medical, they were emotional and spiritual.
“It’s been a huge mental strain to rebuild that sense of self. But I’m still here, still trying and still loving what’s left – and fighting for more.”
With no history of cancer in her family and no known genetic mutations, Gosia hopes her story encourages other women to go for regular check-ups.
And with the help of her son Gabriel and her best friend Tessa, who has set up a GoFundMe page to fund her treatment, she is learning to accept support from others in her time of need.
Gosia said: ‘’I’ve spent years being the one people come to for support. Now I’m learning what it means to receive it, and I’m so grateful to everyone standing with me and supporting me through this incredibly tough journey.”
You can support Gosia’s fight for life by donating to her GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/together-for-gosia-calling-for-help
