Friend's heartbreaking appeal for help with woman's dying wish to return home

A heartbreaking appeal has been launched to help a dying woman return to her homeland from Lancaster.

Asrin, 28, has been battling Stage IV bile duct cancer for more than two years. The disease has now become terminal and she has been told she has limited days to live.

Her final wish is to be with her family in her home country as she dies.

Caitlin Cheshire, a friend of Asrin's, has set up an online fundraiser with a target of raising £58,500 to help get her home.

At time of writing, £2950 has been raised.

Caitlin works at RAIS (Refugee, Advocacy, Information, and Support) in Lancaster - a volunteer-driven charity established in 2017, with a commitment to the public good of providing vital relief and support to asylum seekers, refugees, and their families in Lancaster, Morecambe, Heysham and surrounding areas.

"My name is Caitlin, I am a friend of an amazing woman called Asrin," she said, on the fundraising page.

"She is 28 years old and has been battling Stage IV bile duct cancer for more than two years, which has now become terminal.

"She has been told she has limited days left to live after fighting since diagnosis in December 2023.

"Her final wish is to be with her family as she dies, who are in her home country (which I cannot write the name of on this fundraiser or the post will be removed).

"The only safe way for her to get there is via an air ambulance, which is what we are asking for donations for.

"Asrin grew up in a happy family in her country surrounded by friends and family.

"She eventually met her husband, Vafa, and was focused on her education.

"In 2021, her husband was persecuted by their government and he had to flee to safety, becoming a refugee in the UK.

"While separated, Asrin was diagnosed with Stage IV bile duct cancer. Her husband was finally granted refugee status in the UK only several weeks before Asrin was diagnosed with cancer.

"Asrin and her husband wanted to be reunited but she needed to begin treatment quickly, so decided to wait before applying for refugee family reunion.

"Asrin had 46 sessions of chemotherapy in her home country.

"In June 2025, Asrin made the brave decision to come the UK to be reunited with her husband. She continued treatment in the UK and we had hope it was extending her life.

"Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, the doctors said they needed to stop treatment and focus on end of life care. The cancer has spread throughout her body aggressively. She was recently moved into a hospice and told she has a short time left to live.

"Asrin has been left with an impossible decision: to die with her husband, who she was only just reunited with after over four years separated, or to die with her family in her homeland without her husband who cannot enter the country due to the danger he would face.

"After much painful consideration once she was told her time was limited, and with her husband and family's support, Asrin decided that she wanted to return to her country to spend her final weeks with her family.

"We began planning how to get her there via a commerical flight with support from her husband and possibly a nurse to accompany.

"However, only the morning after reaching this decision, her country entered a war that continues now, closing all airspace and internet communications. Fortunately, her family are close to the border and able to communicate via another country's internet with her intermittently.

"Asrin's dying wish has been to spend her final days with her family, even if it is a very short amount of time. Her family are desperate to have her with them as she passes and to bury her in her homeland.

"The original plan to go home was cancelled as it seemed impossible. But we have now found a way to possibly get her there. During this time organising, her condition has worsened, making the way to get home more complex and expensive, as it requires more medical care during the travel.

"Given the situation, Asrin cannot fly into her country as the airspace is closed. However, there is a route to go to a neighbouring country via medical air transport and ambulance.

"Doctors at the hospice are working with a medical repatriation and air ambulance service which has said the cost for Asrin to get this transport will be £58,000.

"This cost includes: an ambulance from the hospice to Blackpool Airport, an air ambulance with medical staff, taking her to Turkey, and an ambulance from the Turkish airport to take her to her home country where her family will meet her.

"Her husband will say goodbye to Asrin for the last time in Turkey, as it is dangerous for him to enter their home country. We are asking for an additional £500 for her husband's visitor visa cost, return flight, and overnight accommodation in Turkey before he comes back to the UK.

"Asrin and her family have put a significant amount of money via loans into private treatments for her previously but have nothing further they can provide. They are from a rural area of their country living on a low-income.

"Likewise, her husband has been her full-time carer since she arrived, and due to delays in healthcare benefits and high rent costs, does not have the funds for this extremely important task.

"They are heartbroken that the only thing stopping her from being able to pass away surrounded by her family is now money and raising this money quickly.

"Asrin and her husband have suffered enormously and we would love nothing more than to grant her this final wish if it is in any way possible.

"We understand that this is a huge request from our community, but if we can make this happen, it would mean the world to Asrin, her husband, and her family.

"Should we heartbreakingly not be able to raise the funds in time for Asrin's travel, she has asked that her body is repatriated to her homeland.

"The air ambulance service have said they can do this at a cost of £7,000.

"We would ask for this amount to be retained should we raise it, and £3,000 for the costs her family to have a funeral and burial service, as well as some funds for her husband to host a memorial service in the UK for Asrin. This total would be £10,000."

In an update since the page was created, Caitlin posted on Sunday: "Asrin's condition has maintained over the last few days and even improved after an infection six days ago.

"She fought off the infection and has managed to get back to walking a few steps.

"She remains talkative and has a bit of an appetite. Her hope to be with her family is keeping her going and she thanks everyone for their help so far."

You can donate HERE.