The family of courageous young Southport mum Katie Froggatt say they are “all so excited” about a Festival dedicated to her in Southport this month.
Katie, aged 39, mum to two-year-old Myla, was told before Christmas that her cancer was terminal and that she had less than a year left to live.
But she has recently been given fresh hope with her many friends and family leading a huge fundraising drive to secure the funds needed for treatment.
The Katie Froggatt Fundraising Festival will take place at Victoria Park in Southport on Saturday, 15th July 2023 with a series of superb acts lined up.
The special event is being organised by Mark Pickup, owner of Southport TV and Digital Media Boutique.
Tickets can be purchased for the festival or donations made via this link: skiddle.com/e/36376885
Alongside Mark on the bill is Jimmy Allen, Ryan Holland, Paul Elder, Channe, Seani Mac, and Miech Martin.
Mark is also looking for some volunteers for various parts of the festival or if you provide a service that can help him make this event the best it can be.
Katie is married to Steven, with the couple parents to two-year-old Myla.
After an horrendous few months where she received the worst possible news from doctors, Katie is now delighted to discover that her cancer is shrinking and that treatment in Germany can help if she can secure the funding she needs.
Her sister-in-law Shelley Wareing said: “After receiving some positive news in June regarding her private treatments, Katie, Steven and the rest of the family are so grateful for the kind donations and hard work from the organisers – Katie’s Angels – who have made this possible.
“We are all so excited for Katie’s Festival on Saturday 15th July 2-23 at Victoria Park in Southport.
“It is going to be a fabulous event, with great music provided by excellent DJs, food trucks, a marquee, a bar and just an all-round fun festival.
“This enables event goers to have a good time while knowing their ticket money is going to such a worthwhile cause, ultimately giving Katie so much precious time with her hugely supportive husband Steven, and my beautiful niece Myla.
“The event couldn’t be more suited to our festival loving Katie.
“We are so thankful to Mark Pickup, Jimmy Allen, DJs and everyone involved in organising such a fun, important event.”
Mark Pickup from Southport TV and Southport Disco Festival said: “My wife Mel and I have been in contact with Katie and Steve ever since the diagnosis and like most of our friends we have been devastated by what she has gone through.
“When Katie went pubic with the news on social media at the beginning of this year lots of her friends immediately jumped and started doing various charity activities to raise money for her and to show their support.
“I’ve since called them ‘Katies Angels’ because without knowing at the time, these activities supported by all the donations received have kept Katie alive.
“During the middle of March I started to look at doing something for Katie myself but there was so much charitable activity going on around her I thought I’ll sit this one out and wait a few months and do something special in the summer. That time is now.
“I spoke to various friends in the industry including Tony at North West Marquee Hire who donated the marquee, Warren Rimmer who donated the sound system and a few others who helped me put it together and of course all the DJs on the flyer who have donated their time also.
“Even if you don’t know Katie it doesn’t matter, come and have a great afternoon of music with us in a marquee in Victoria Park and know that your ticket money has gone to a great cause. “You can purchase a ticket via this link skiddle.com/e/36376885
“If you can’t make it but still want to support Katie, I have put a few other ‘non attending’ ticket options on there so that you can donate to her cancer journey if you are able.
“We want to show Katie that we are all beside her and want to do what we can to help her battle this dreadful disease, so instead of just asking for money I thought I could give back to everyone who donates by giving them a bit of a boogie with music provided in true Southport Disco Festival style by some of the best local DJ talent and surprise headline guest DJ.
“One thing I know about Katie is that she is a music lover at heart and would be the first one on the dancefloor and the last to leave, so it seemed right to do a charitable activity like this for her.”
Katie Froggatt initially thought she was just fighting off a cold in the summer of 2021, but as weeks passed, she started to find she couldn’t breathe at all.
She then discovered she had an aggressive tumour, leading to horrific surgery in a bid to help her survive.
Family and friends have since raised thousands of pounds to fund treatment for her, through a series of events.
Katie said: “After an awful six months being delivered the news just before Christmas that my cancer had spread to my lungs and was now stage four terminal with 6-12 months to live, my cancer is chemotherapy resistant and the chemo here in the UK will kill me before it touches the cancer, immunotherapy was my only option.
“Unfortunately the immunotherapy made me really ill and bed bound and had devastating effects on me and my cancer and it actually ramped the growth and nearly killed me in the making.
“I was bed bound from February to May, was two stone lighter and could barely look after Myla, never mind pick her up, bath her or put her to bed.
“I was told by the NHS there is nothing more they can do for me, but finally I have found a world renowned professor and treatment in Frankfurt that actually works against my cancer and it’s currently shrinking!
“I have had significant reduction and now Professor Vogl is now speaking about stabilising my cancer with monthly visits to Frankfurt and he is confident he can get a grip of this.
“It’s the first time since being diagnosed nearly two years ago that someone has confidently said we can do this!
“These trips cost £5,000 a month on top of the £1,200 a week I have been spending at an amazing alternate treatment clinic that has honestly been the only thing that’s kept me alive.
“I just wanted to take this time to thank everybody that has donated and all the beautiful people that put together all of the amazing fundraisers because of each and everyone of you I am still here now.”
Tickets can be purchased for the festival or donations made via this link: skiddle.com/e/36376885
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