Bangor mum's crowd-funded cancer treatment to begin today
A North Down mum who raised over ÂŁ22,000 to fund her access to a breast cancer drug will start her treatment today.
For Melanie Kennedy, the treatment means everything as it will hopefully prolong her life:
"In theory, it should only go to my cancer cells and leave the rest of me at peace so I wouldn't get the same set of nasty side-effects that I've had from previous chemotherapies."
Kadcyla has been hailed as a wonder drug that will slow down the progress of the Bangor mum's disease.The 40-year-old says it's given her the chance to spend more time with her two young boys.
"I feel great! It's very weird to say but I'm very excited to get started. I'm very happy to let everyone follow me on my journey because ultimately they are all personally involved. They've helped me to get to this point, to be around for my kids for a bit longer - and what can I say? I'm just over the moon to have the opportunity to do this."
It will also mean she'll have to make less trips to the hospital:
"Because this drug involved Herceptin, I will have to have a heart scan every three months but aside from that I shouldn't be at the hospital as often. I've had chemotherapies before where I've had to be at the hospital every week - which is draining. So only going up every three weeks isn't so bad."
Donations are continuing to pour in to Melanie's fund which currently stands at close to ÂŁ26,000 and she says she plans on using the extra money to help other people like her.
"It was absolutely phenomenal. Within two days I had reached my target. I can't even express how thankful I am."
"Even the messages of support I've had have just been out of this world. People will come up to you in the street and wish you well and will contact you on social media and it's so nice to see such positive things like that."
She also says that if Stormont gets back on its feet she'll return to campaigning.
"There is an issue with accessing certain drugs but I don't plan to give up on the campaign either. As soon as we have Stormont back up and running I'll be back at the front door and they all know that. That's not going to stop!"
And Melanie says that she couldn't have made it this far without the medical staff who have looked after her along the way:
"The oncologists and the staff in Northern Ireland are second-to-none. Anybody who has received the same sort news I did four years ago, it's never going to be pleasant, it's never going to be nice. But I'm here four and half years later and I've never had a hospitalisation."