A 30-year-old mother from Cheltenham has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after initially contracting conjunctivitis, and a year later, she has exhausted NHS treatment options.
Charlotte Surgenor underwent two extensive rounds of chemotherapy at Cheltenham General Hospital over 36 weeks. However, due to limited NHS research into her specific cancer type, doctors have informed her that no further NHS treatments are currently available.
Charlotte and her husband Tom, aged 32, are now raising funds to consider private medical treatment, facing the possibility of significant costs for advanced drugs or participation in clinical trials abroad.
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Despite the uncertainty, the couple remain determined to maintain a normal life for their two-year-old daughter, Maisie.
Tom reflected on the sequence of events, questioning if the cancer would have been detected were it not for Charlotte contracting conjunctivitis, which led to earlier medical investigations.
Charlotte’s health issues began in late May 2025 when she caught conjunctivitis from Maisie. She noticed her eyelid remained droopy and failed to reopen completely despite treatment with eye drops.
They consulted an eye specialist in Cheltenham, who suspected Horner syndrome, a neurological condition affecting the eye and face due to nerve damage.
Charlotte was referred for a scan and biopsy at Gloucester Royal Hospital in June 2025. Subsequent results revealed a growth in her throat and nasal area, diagnosed as cancer that had already spread to her lungs and liver.
Charlotte was diagnosed with metastatic Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare salivary gland cancer accounting for just one per cent of head and neck malignancies, for which no cure currently exists.
Her first chemotherapy course lasted 18 weeks starting August 2025, followed by a second round from April this year. She is scheduled for a follow-up scan this weekend, which may mark the end of her NHS treatment.
According to Tom, “Our NHS oncologist has explained that no further NHS treatment options are available due to the rarity of this cancer and limited research. The tumour has not reduced in size despite chemotherapy, and the cancer has progressed in her lungs and liver.”
The couple are exploring private oncologists for second opinions and treatment alternatives. One such option is the drug Enhertu, which targets specific features of Charlotte’s cancer but comes at a high cost per treatment course. Another possibility is participation in clinical trials in the United States, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
To support these efforts, the Surgenors have launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising over £16,000 so far.
“We are grateful and somewhat overwhelmed by the generosity shown,” Tom said. “We want to be prepared for whatever comes next.”
Charlotte has returned to work as a talent sourcer at telecommunications company VoCoVo and is currently experiencing relatively few symptoms.
Tom added, “Physically, she’s coping well, and there aren’t many outward signs of her cancer. We want to live life as normally as possible for our daughter and hope others will continue to treat us normally.”
A fundraising concert will be held at Cheltenham Ladies College on Saturday, 5 September at 7.30pm, featuring a 10-piece classical soul band with Cheltenham-born singer RaRa. Tickets start at £16.25 and are available via the college’s website.
Contributions to Charlotte’s treatment fund can be made through her GoFundMe page.