Ex-Tesco worker from King's Lynn given 18 months to live, and her family is fundraising to make her dreams come true

A loving family is pushing to make their aunt’s dreams come true after being given just 18 months to live.

Davinia Lewis, 51, of Smith Avenue, North Lynn, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer this year after undergoing of tests.

The diagnosis, which has taken Mrs Lewis over a decade to discover, was one of many as she has spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals.

Her family have been “devastated by the news” after the former Tesco Gaywood worker was first diagnosed with lung cancer after 14 years of varying symptoms.

Mrs Lewis has emphysema, a degenerative respiratory illness, and instead was given the devastating news that she had three high-grade stage four glioblastomas.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive type of cancer that begins in cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells. It can form in the brain or spinal cord.

Janna Jones, Mrs Lewis’ niece has said the family were “livid” at the initial lung cancer diagnosis.

She said: “Doctors at the hospital said that she had masses on her lungs and diagnosed with lung cancer, she had to deal with the worry of telling her family and we were all devastated.

“But just a few days later they told her they were wrong and it’s just her emphysema showing up on the scans, we were all livid that they had put her through that.”

Ms Jones has described her as a “second mum” and has created a fundraising page for a last family trip to Cornwall.

To donate please go to the GoFundMe page.

Ms Jones said: “She’s a second mum to me and one of the most amazing, brave women I know.

“Davinia has always been larger than life and the life and soul of every party, her smile would light up any room she walked into and her laughter filled the air.

“Even now, she’s the one keeping us strong.”

It is Ms Jones’ dream to see her aunt attend her wedding in two years time.

The family had a Mad Hatter party for Mrs Lewis this month, as she lost her hair from chemotherapy - she wore a wig for the occasion and made up gift bags for members of her family.

In 1990, Mrs Lewis met her now ex husband and in 1991 she gave birth to her first child, Charise and in 1998 gave birth to her son, Joseph.

After being in an abusive marriage for 11 years she finally left, took her children and moved to Lynn, renting an annexe and getting a job at Tesco in Gaywood.

She now lives with her husband Chris Lewis, 49, in Lynn, and has taken on his two children as her own.

In 2007, health problems started with Mrs Lewis experiencing bleeding from her back passage.

She immediately went to see her GP, worried it was something sinister as her father had previously been diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 40 and 60, but “the GP did not think a colonoscopy was necessary due to her age”.

Later that month she had the colonoscopy which showed she did in fact have bowel cancer at the age of 37.

Davinia and Chris decided to marry as soon as possible before any treatments would start and so in December 2007 they tied the knot in an emotional yet beautiful ceremony surrounded by their nearest and dearest.

Ten days after life saving surgery on her bowel, Mrs Lewis began to feel extremely poorly and tests showed she had pneumonia, septicaemia and kidney failure- her bowel had disintegrated and was sent for further surgery and her husband was told if it didn’t work then there was nothing more that could be done to save her.

She came out of surgery and was placed into a coma. Mrs Lewis spent Christmas and New Year in intensive care, she was then moved up to a ward where she stayed until March 2008.

Due to having the majority of her large bowel and small bowel she was left with three stomas and an ileostomy bag for life.

In 2009, Davinia had genetic testing done which showed she carried the gene that causes lynch syndrome and made her high risk of several cancers such as colon, kidney, ovarian, endometrian and glioblastomas.

She opted to have a full hysterectomy that year to reduce the risks of ovarian cancer and she would also need colonoscopies every two years.

Ms Jones said: “No one deserves to go through this but especially Davinia, she’s already been through so much and now has to face this gruelling treatment knowing that it will not cure her, just prolong the inevitable.

“At just 51 years of age she has to face this horrific and tragic fate and yet she is the one carrying us all, she is the one being strong for us, she is the one that is still laughing, smiling and joking and making light of the situation.

“I have honestly never met someone that can go through all of that and hold herself with such grace and dignity, she deserves the world.”