The partner of Paul Gascoigne's son Mason has shared a scan of her incurable brain tumour and a photograph of her surgical scar as she attempts to raise £320,000 for a clinical trial in the United States.
Jaimee Sharp, 28, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, an IDH1-Mutant, CNS WHO grade 4 Astrocytoma. She and Mason Gascoigne are seeking funds to give her more time with their five-year-old son, Teddy.
On Wednesday, Sharp posted a video to Instagram documenting her journey, which included the scan and the scar left by major surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible.
"Everyone deserves as much time as possible," she wrote in the caption. "Please keep showing as much love and support as you are."
Clinical trial in Ohio
Sharp is currently undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but standard treatment will not stop the tumour progressing. She has been offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial for a new drug at a hospital in Ohio.
She needs to raise £320,516 within a month to give her a realistic chance of completing the trial. A GoFundMe page has so far raised £172,257.
"My whole life changed when I was diagnosed," Sharp wrote on the fundraising page. "I accept that there is no cure for my cancer, but there is an opportunity for more time and I need that."
"The median survival rate is about 5 years. More than anything, I desperately want more time with my little boy. Being Teddy's mummy is my whole reason for existence. And I'm not ready to say goodbye."
She said she wants to watch her son smile on more Christmas mornings, be there for more birthdays, and watch him become the young man she has imagined.
"I'm not asking one person to make this possible. I'm asking as many people as possible to help in whatever way they can," she said, adding that one share of the page could reach someone who can help.
Mason Gascoigne's plea
Mason Gascoigne is the son of Sheryl Gascoigne and her first husband, Colin Kyle. He and his sister Bianca were adopted by former England footballer Paul Gascoigne when he and Sheryl married in 1996. The couple divorced two years later.
Mason and Sharp welcomed Teddy in March 2021, making Paul Gascoigne a grandfather for the first time. Bianca Gascoigne welcomed a daughter, Blake Sunshine, in February 2023.
On Tuesday, Mason posted his own appeal for his partner. "We're trying to achieve this goal so we can have the time we deserve with her and she has time she deserves with her five-year-old boy," he said.
"We just need your help to just share this as far and wide as it possibly can go," he added. "I know times are hard but we appreciate it, even if it's a pound. I just wanna say thank you to everyone."
He posted an update later on Tuesday morning thanking supporters for raising £145,000 since Friday. He said they were nearly halfway to their target, but that the fundraiser had also given Sharp hope and belief.
"It's given her this hope and this belief... and this community she never knew was there for her," he said. "It's been beautiful to see her face light up just watching it happen and the support from everyone."
