Bilston woman diagnosed with rare cancer with fewer than 400 cases worldwide

A woman from Bilston has been diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive kidney cancer with fewer than 400 cases reported worldwide.

Deneka Blake, aged 36, was diagnosed in 2023 with Renal Medullary Carcinoma and a recent scan has found six new tumours across her lung, kidney and chest.

Her best friend of 26 years, Katie Nicholls, is raising funds to ease Deneka's financial pressure so she can focus on her wellbeing and making as many memories as possible.

Katie said: “Deneka and I have been inseparable since we were ten years old. We’ve grown up together, been through countless highs and lows, and experienced so much of life side-by-side. She isn’t just my best friend she’s more like a sister to me.

“We have the kind of friendship that is difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. We can be in a room full of people, look at each other and have an entire conversation without saying a word.

“When Deneka contacted me to tell me about her cancer, I honestly felt as though I couldn’t breathe. I lost my own mum to cancer four years ago, so hearing that someone I love so deeply was facing this was absolutely devastating. I remember leaving work as soon as I found out and going straight to find her.

Deneka had her left kidney removed and the biopsy confirmed it was cancer but as the subtype was so rare that finding the most appropriate treatment was difficult and has left her with uncertainty.

“I have watched Deneka spend hours upon hours researching her cancer, looking for answers and trying to find the most effective treatment options available to her. She has had to do so much of this research herself because her cancer is so rare, and finding clear answers about how best to treat it has been incredibly difficult.

“Deneka has been trying to fund the things she believes may help her health while navigating her treatment. She has also pursued a specialist blood test costing almost £3,000 through a London clinic, with the sample sent to Greece for analysis, in the hope of identifying which treatments may be most effective for her.

“The financial pressure on top of everything else is enormous.”

The money raised is being used to help towards Deneka’s treatment-related costs and to support Deneka’s family life.

“We are fighting, and we intend to keep fighting every step of the way. The generosity we have already received has meant so much,” Katie added.

To help raise money for Deneka more information can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-deneka-fight-and-make-memories