Tragedy as parents of three young children are told they BOTH have just months to live after they were diagnosed with terminal cancer

  • Karen Stewart, 36, from Dublin, has battled cancer three times since she was 18
  • But doctors have told the mother-of-three children it is now incurable 
  • In a double tragedy, her husband Ed has been diagnosed with terminal cancer
  • Their friend Stacey has set up a GoFundMe page to help them do as much as possible with their children  

A family has been struck by a double tragedy as the parents of three young children have both been told they have just months to live.

Karen Stewart and her husband Ed, from Dublin, Ireland, are both fighting forms of cancer, and have been told they do not have long left to live.

Karen, 36, is fighting cancer for the third time, being diagnosed when she was just 18-years-old.

Karen and husband Ed, who have both been told they have incurable cancer. They have three children under the age of 10

Karen and husband Ed, who have both been told they have incurable cancer. They have three children under the age of 10

But she had been cancer-free for a decade until its return when she was 32.

According to the Irish Mirror, she was told in January that her cancer was now incurable, but could be maintained.

Now husband Ed, 42, has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, after suffering with chest pain and nausea.

He is in hospice care, with just months to live.

Karen's friend Stacey Hogg set up a GoFundMe page to help the couple make memories with their family while they are still around.

They have three children, Keeva, 10, eight-year-old Finn and four-year-old Erin. 

Karen has fought cancer since she was 18, but Ed, 42, was diagnosed recently after experiencing chest pain and nausea

Karen has fought cancer since she was 18, but Ed, 42, was diagnosed recently after experiencing chest pain and nausea

Karen and Ed have three children, all aged under 10, Keeva, Finn and Erin. A fundraising page has been set up to help them spend time together

Karen and Ed have three children, all aged under 10, Keeva, Finn and Erin. A fundraising page has been set up to help them spend time together

Writing on the GoFundMe page, Stacey explained: 'Just a brief story about Karen and Ed. Karen was diagnosed at 18 with a childhood cancer, unfortunately it has come back for the 3rd time, she has since been told that it is now incurable. Karens main carer is her husband Ed.

'Devastatingly he is now fighting the disease himself. They have been through so much and more.

Karen has bravely battled the disease since she was 18

Karen has bravely battled the disease since she was 18

'They have 3 children Keeva, Finn and Erin all under the age of 10.

'The aim of the fund is help raise some money so Karen and Ed can make as many memories as possible with their 3 gorgeous babies.'

So far the page has raised 9,068 Eur (£8,118) for them to plan trips together to make memories.

Karen told RSVP magazine: 'If you have pain, go get it checked, if you have a lump get it checked.

'It might be nothing but could be something. Don’t leave it until it’s too late.

'If you have a pain, especially if you have it weeks, you should seek medical advice.'

Karen confessed she and her husband Ed had to go private to get their answers, and said they had put his chest pain down to a suspected heart attack he had earlier in the year.

Karen and Ed's GoFundMe page can be found here

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA AND WHAT IS PANCREATIC CANCER?  

NEUROBLASTOMA

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of specialised nerve cells in the nervous system and other tissues.  

Neuroblastoma commonly occurs in either one of the two adrenal glands in a child's tummy or in nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord, in the neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis.

The cancer can spread to tissues beyond the original site, including bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin.

As with most cancers the cause of neuroblastoma is unknown. The symptoms vary depending on where a child's tumor is.

Treatment depends on the age of the child, as well as the size and position of the tumor and whether the disease has spread. 

 PANCREATIC CANCER

Pancreatic cancer is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas - a large gland in the digestive system

Around half of all new cases occur in people aged 75 or older, with one in 10 being genetic

Other causes include age, smoking and other health conditions, including diabetes

It is difficult to treat as it rarely causes any symptoms in the early stages, so it's often not detected until the cancer is fairly advanced

Symptoms to look out for include pain in the back or stomach and unexpected weight loss