Fundraising helps Norfolk brain tumour vlogger go on road-trip
- Published
Samantha Last told her followers about her diagnosis last week, in a video viewed more than 360,000 times
A vlogger diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour has begun a motorhome road-trip after a crowdfunding campaign raised more than £20,000 for her.
Samantha Last, 49, from Diss, Norfolk, went to hospital with a headache last week and said it was "surreal" to be told the extent of the illness.
She spoke of the diagnosis in a video viewed more than 360,000 times and the money will pay for a trip to Devon.
"I'm stunned that I've had so much support," she said.
Her Samantha Jaelle channel on YouTube focuses on make-up tutorials,
Mrs Last, who has four children, said her symptoms began when she felt "very wobbly" but her headache progressed until she "couldn't cope with it" and she went to hospital.
Of her prognosis, she said: "The devastation was something I'd never felt before, not really for me but for [husband] David, the children and my sister."
Samantha and husband David have been together since they were teenagers
The fundraising campaign was set up by her husband to give her a final road-trip.
An offer also came in to fly her to the United States, she has decided to remain in the UK and they set off on their trip earlier on Friday.
"It's going to give us some freedom. I don't want to be sat at home feeling sorry for myself, I want to do something positive," she said.
"I love the beach, I love Agatha Christie and the thought that we're just going to go wherever we want and do whatever we want is the freedom I need."
Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge said that while they cannot cure her illness they can prolong her life by partially removing the brain tumour, so after three days the road, she will come back for the operation.
"I never thought I'd get any of these illnesses, but it's happened and I just want to get on with my life the best I can and enjoy whatever time I have left."