Student with incurable cancer dies surrounded by family after she was granted 'last wish'

Alex Caycho
-Credit: (Image: Alexandra Angeles Caycho)


A 21 year old student, who was diagnosed with 'almost impossible' cancer, has tragically passed away after raising £165,000 for her final journey back to Peru.

Alexandra Angeles Caycho, a Fine Art and Design graduate from Lancaster University, initially believed she was dealing with a rugby injury before being diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer. This summer, doctors informed her that she had only 'days to weeks left to live'.

Earlier this month, Alexandra's 'last wish' was fulfilled as she managed to return to Peru after several expensive flights with medical assistance to spend her last days with her family. Her boyfriend announced the heartbreaking news on Saturday, September 14, that she has now passed away.

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In an update on the GoFundMe online fundraising page, Dylan stated: "Struggling to put it into words, Alex passed away at 12 30 am local time on the 14th September with loved ones by her side. Alex's family and close friends ask for privacy at this moment in time."

Alex relocated from Peru to Lancaster in 2021 to attend university. She first began experiencing pain last year, reports the Manchester Evening News.

She described how her bowel movements then altered and 'things got weird'. Alex's health rapidly declined - her eyes turned yellow and she couldn't sit for long - before she visited A&E where she was told she might have a liver problem. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here

She was sent to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool upon the devastating discovery that her cancer had progressed to stage four. Reflecting on her dire prognosis, she shared: "The doctors were shocked; they told me it was almost impossible for someone my age to have this disease."

Alex, who proudly graduated from university this year with an eye on furthering her education through a master's degree, found herself discharged from hospital to cherish moments at home with her mother, Linda, and Dylan. A return to the hospital for chemotherapy shortly followed, yet the treatment halted abruptly when she vomited blood.

Recounting that traumatic episode, she revealed: "They [the doctors] decided to pause everything and put me back in the ward. I was there for two weeks and they told me I had internal bleeding from the cancer, they said there was nothing much they could do and that I have days to weeks left to live."

Amidst her overwhelming struggle, she confessed: "I've tried to stay strong and to keep fighting with everything I have, but unfortunately my journey is coming to an end. I'm too tired most days to do anything; I suffer with swelling, the swelling has got so bad I have gained ten kilos of fluid and my body is too weak to deal with that immense weight gain. I suffer from back pain. Most days I spend my time in bed trying to eat and drink water if I can."

Alex with her boyfriend Dylan in hospital
Alex with her boyfriend Dylan in hospital -Credit:Alexandra Angeles Caycho

Alex's final wish was to return home to Peru to see her father, grandparents, aunts and uncles one last time and spend her final moments in a place where she 'feels at peace'. However, the estimated cost of an air ambulance to get Alex home was around £150,000, a sum the family couldn't afford. So, with the help of her friends, she set up an online fundraiser.

Earlier this month, an update on the GoFundMe page revealed that due to Alex's condition, the flight might need to operate at a lower altitude, increasing fuel consumption and potentially requiring additional stops. The fundraising target was subsequently raised to £200,000 to cover these extra costs, with any surplus funds going towards other expenses such as funeral costs.

On September 1, Alex began her journey back to Peru, which included four stops. Two days later, an update on the GoFundMe page confirmed that Alex had safely arrived home in Peru and was surrounded by her loved ones 'in the place she wanted to be most'.

Last week, Alex's boyfriend Dylan shared an update on the page. In his post, Dylan expressed: "I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone for the amazing support that helped get Alex back to Peru. Your generous donations made this possible, and we're incredibly grateful."

Dylan shared the heartbreaking news that Alex had passed away at 12.30am local time on Saturday (September 14) in another post that day.