Fundraiser for local woman battling ‘extremely severe’ spinal cancer

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Mountbolus native Teri Daly is preparing to spend seven weeks in Germany after being diagnosed with an extremely severe form of spinal cancer.

In January, she was diagnosed with Anaplastic Ependymoma, a rare and fast-growing cancer affecting the central nervous system. An MRI scan revealed multiple tumors along her spine and neck - symptoms which she initially attributed to strain from her job as a dental nurse.

Teri underwent a five-hour surgery to remove the tumors earlier this year, but she now requires Craniospinal Proton Therapy, a specialised radiation treatment targeting the brain and spinal cord. The treatment will take place in Essen, Germany, over the course of seven weeks.

The goal is to give Teri more time with her 16-year-old daughter, Skye.

It was in November 2024 that Teri first noticed severe pain, which she had originally thought was from a pulled muscle.

"I always had weight in my neck because of my work as a dental nurse, but I started to notice this pain, it went down to my fingers and I noticed this tingling feeling," Teri said. "I was going to acupuncture privately, and that was helping. I also started to go to an osteopath, because it was preventing me from doing normal things."

She lived an active lifestyle, but, as her condition progressed, Teri was forced to take a step back.

"I was always one of the fittest in my family," Teri said. "In November, I could feel this pain like I had pulled my glute muscle. I thought it would go away, but it never did.

"I stopped going to pilates, because it was too sore for me to go. I kept up the walking, but even that was making it worse. I had to stop horse riding, because I no longer had the mobility needed for it."

Teri had gone to several GP appointments to no avail. By December, severe mobility issues led her to seek further medical attention.

"I was in with my osteopath, and I mentioned the other pain to him," she said. "He asked if I had tried bending down to see what my mobility was like. Normally I'd be well able to touch my toes, but by the time I reached my calf, I was in outrageous pain. After that it got much worse."

Following another GP appointment, she was told she needed to go to the hospital for an MRI scan.

"I went in for the scan, and the doctor asked me to wait because the radiologist was looking at it straight away," she said. "It came back that I had tumors all along my spine, and one at the top of my neck. It was a form of anaplastic cancer, which is the fastest growing one. Dr Catherine Moran told me that all of the tumors had grown in the last year."

In February, Dr Moran removed the tumors on Teriis spine, and due to how interwoven it had become, was forced to burn some of her nerve endings.

"I didn't have feeling in the back of my legs afterwards, but I didn't care. As long as I wasn't paralysed, and I could still take care of my daughter, the numbness didn't bother me."

Teri will travel to Germany in April for the next phase of her treatment. Her sister-in-law Mary Daly said: "The HSE don't normally fund this treatment, but due to how complex this case is, they are funding it.

"We are fundraising for the living expenses - for accommodation, food, and anything else that she may need over the seven weeks."

As of Wednesday, March 26, the fundraiser for Teri has raised €7,034 of the €10,000 target from some 88 donations.

"The diagnosis has had a huge impact on the two of them, so any extra time they can get together will make a huge difference," Mary added.

To donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-teri-fight-anaplastic-ependymoma