ZapGossip

Leah Bracknell offered ‘six rounds of palliative chemotherapy’

Leah Bracknell is only allowed "six rounds of palliative chemotherapy".
The former ‘Emmerdale’ actress – who starred as Zoe Tate in the ITV soap – set up a crowdfunding page in a bid to find a cure for her terminal lung cancer but, although doctors are telling her they’re limited as to what they can offer her, she’s determined to remain positive.
Appearing on ITV’s ‘Loose Women’ on Friday (24.02.17), she said: "They’re telling you, ‘We can’t do this, we can’t do that, we can’t give you radiation but we can give you six rounds of palliative chemo and I just think I can’t change the diagnosis but what I can do is choose how I respond.
"Of course, It wasn’t the case when I first found out.
"But we are going to move on with this in a positive way.
"I’m going to choose to embrace life and going to choose to make positive decisions. I haven’t got the energy to react to negative stuff."
The 52-year-old star was angry when she first found out she had the life-threatening disease and she has chosen not to be told when she may die and just be "grateful" for each day she has left.
She explained: "I reacted with anger at first and it’s why I don’t want doctors to guesstimate how long I have left.
"I don’t wake up every morning feeling fearful I wake up feeling grateful and excited about life."
Leah launched a fundraising campaign in the hope of receiving treatment at a cutting-edge hospital in Germany.
And though she achieved her £50,000 target from public donations via an online page, she has admitted she needs more money as she will need "several" sessions of treatment and the initial outlay will only cover her first visit to the European clinic.
She previously wrote on her Facebook page: "Not in Germany yet, as there are many procedures to undergo first. But everything is moving in the right direction.
"The fundraising will still be continuing, as the initial target will likely cover only my initial visit, and it is more than likely I may need several more."
Leah – who is now a yoga teacher – also thanked her fans for their outpouring of "love and concern".
She said: "I cannot tell you how healing it is to be the recipient of such love and concern. It takes my breath away.
"Please know how grateful I am, and how I appreciate each and every message."