Nurse appeals for help to bring terminally ill sister in Vietnam back home to Manchester

A nurse is appealing for help to bring her terminally ill sister back to UK after it was discovered she had a rare aggressive cancer while working as a teacher abroad.

Selena Danson, 39, was working in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, when she became suddenly unwell on 9 December 2022.

She was admitted to hospital with lung clots and deep vein thromboses, and after further investigations, it was discovered she has cervical cancer.

Following the diagnosis, her sister Nicola, a nurse at Salford Royal Hospital, and their 78-year-old mum flew out to see her on 22 December, where they have remained since.

Nicola said: "I flew out to Ho Chi Minh with my mum on 22nd December. When we arrived, she was much worse than we thought and feared.”

"We were fortunate that the hospital allowed Selena to be discharged on Christmas Day so we could spend some time together."

Nicola said the hospital "have been brilliant and we couldn’t have asked for more from them".

When they returned to the hospital, they received the devastating news that Selena has a rare, rapidly growing and aggressive cancer which has spread to her liver and is now stage 4.

Nicola said: "Selena desperately wants to return home to South Manchester, but the only way this is possible is for her to be flown back by a medical team."

Selena was born with a heart defect and due to her existing heart condition, lung clots and advanced cancer, it means she has to be monitored closely by a specialist medical team when flying in high altitudes.

"Because of Vietnamese immigration rules, my mum and I can't stay in Vietnam long term.

"Once we leave, Selena will be left on her own with no practical or emotional support and a lot of her friends have left so she would be alone."

Although Selena has medical insurance in Vietnam, it does not cover repatriation back to the UK.

The estimated starting cost to bring Selena home is between £40,000-50,000, but it could be higher due to extra factors, including her having to have three medical escorts instead of one because of her current condition.

Nicola has created a Go Fund Me page to raise the funds to bring Selena home to have the care and support of her loved ones.

Selena's GP in the UK has been informed of her condition and the Vietnamese oncology team have made the referral to The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

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