'We really believe it's working': Emmerdale's Leah Bracknell reveals her terminal cancer treatment has failed... but she remains hopeful for alternative therapies
- Leah Bracknell, 53, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016
- The former Emmerdale actress has shared a poem and a photo of herself
- Poem posted by the London-born star includes the words 'take away the pain'
- Leah has raised £50,000 for a pioneering new treatment to treat her cancer
She was tragically diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016.
And Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell, 53, has now revealed her targeted biological therapy has stopped working and she is surviving solely on 'alternative treatments'.
Despite the heart-wrenching news, the mother-of-two displayed her trademark optimism as she thanked fans for their support and insisted she was 'gloriously living in defiance of expectation'.
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Tragic: Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell, 53, has revealed her targeted biological therapy has stopped working and she is surviving solely on 'alternative treatments'
Leah's partner Jez Hughes told supporters that the NHS treatment she had started at the end of 2016 was 'definitely not working' so they were looking to take the 'next steps'.
He wrote on her crowdfunding page: 'We have found out the drug definitely isn't working so she has been off this for a while while we find out the next steps.
'We think it probably stopped working back in March or even before. So for the last five months she has been prospering solely on the alternative treatments.'
He continued: 'This is due to your incredible support as these aren't cheap. So we are so grateful for the opportunity to keep Leah strong and well. We really believe it is working.'
Leah has been using plant-based healing oils and also has frequent sessions in an infrared sauna.
Heartwrenching: Leah, who payed Zoe Tate on Emmerdale (pictured), was tragically diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in October 2016
Positive: Despite the heart-wrenching news, the mother-of-two displayed her trademark optimism as she thanked fans for their support and insisted she was 'gloriously living in defiance of expectation'
Jez said they will go back to their original plan of raising the £50,000 needed to get pioneering immunotherapy in Germany - but may have some therapy in the UK too.
Dedicated supporters have been following Leah's journey with unending kindness, and have already donated £64,000 towards their plans.
Leah, who played Zoe Tate on Emmerdale, shared a snap of her smiling as she looked hopefully at the sky.
She captioned it: 'Thank you for all your love and support, it means soooo much. Gloriously Living In Defiance of Expectation.'
The former Emmerdale star, who is originally from London, has now given some insight into her cancer battle after sharing a poem online that includes the line 'take away the pain'.
Optimistic: Leah Bracknell, 53, shared a new image of herself 10 months after her cancer diagnosis
Leah posted the poem, which it is thought she may have penned herself, on her Facebook page.
It follows the stricken actress' decision to publish a photograph of herself on a country walk on her blog about her cancer battle.
Taking to her public Facebook page, the poem Leah posted described a 'fire in [her] belly'.
The poem read: 'I got me a butterfly net to catch me all the love and beauty and wishes and dreams and black cat kinda luck.
'And fire in my belly, honey in my heart kind of memories that melt my sweet heart and take away the pain.
'I spy me a sky full of blessings coming my way. Net at the ready, I raise my head for a kiss. And here they come.'
Leah appears to have written a poem about her illness, asking for the pain to be taken away
The actress looked frail when she appeared on ITV's Loose Women earlier this year
Last month Leah shared a new picture of herself as she enjoyed a day out in the countryside.
Posted on her blog Something beginning with C, the picture showed a frail Leah beaming at the cameral as she walked through a field.
Leah, who was known for playing Zoe Tate in Emmerdale from 1989-2005, previously raised £60,000 for immunotherapy treatment, which is not available on the NHS.
The treatment 'reprogrammes' the body's defence system to attack cancerous cells. Trials show it could stop cancer from spreading and reduce tumour size.
The experimental treatment, which she received in Germany, isn't a permanent medication as it stops working when the cancer starts to resist it.
Leah played Zoe Tate in ITV's Emmerdale from 1989-2005 and now works as a yoga instructor
Leah has also tried to get better using the help of shamanic healers, who visited her in hospital.
The healers believe illness has a spiritual cause and results in a loss of energy or power.
The actress previously confessed that she didn't want to know how long doctors have given her to live.
'I didn't want doctors to 'guess-timate' how long I have left,' she explained to the Loose Women panel during her last TV appearance.
'I don't wake up every morning feeling fearful - I wake up feeling grateful and excited about life.'
The soap star went to Germany for immunotherapy treatment, which isn't offered by the NHS
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