I am raising money for Anya Bentham, a 2 year old girl from Chester who has neuroblastoma. In order for Anya to receive pioneering treatment from the US, which will give her the best chance of being able to grow up, her family have to raise £250 000. Here is Anya's story:

Hello everyone, my name is Anya!  I am 2 years old. I love my dolly and Beauty and the Beast is my favourite!” 

Anya has neuroblastoma, a frighteningly aggressive childhood cancer. She has already had lots of cancer treatments in the UK and has done really well so far. Now Anya’s best chance of beating the disease lie in receiving Immunotherapy. The treatment Anya will receive abroad is not available in the same format in the UK, where anti-GD2 and IL2, or just anti-GD2 alone, are given as part of a randomised trial. The proposed treatment and associated costs of £250,000 will not be funded by the NHS which is why Anya needs your help.

 

If you can help, please make a donation to the Neuroblastoma Alliance UK, or organise a fundraising event to raise money for Anya's Appeal. Please give as much as you can afford to help save Anya and other children like her. Every donation for Anya, no matter how small, will make a difference.

 

In March 2011, Naomi and Graeme were blessed with their first child, a beautiful baby girl they christened Anya. At 16 months old, Anya was a late walker. When she started to limp and then couldn’t bear weight on her left leg just 3 days later, parents Naomi and Graeme took her straight to their local Accident and Emergency. Anya was diagnosed as having an ‘Irritable Hip’ and sent home with anti-inflammatory drugs. Within 4 days Anya was back brushing up on her new walking skills. 

 

But almost a month later, the same symptoms came back, so the family went back to A&E. By midnight that night Anya was undergoing an emergency operation for suspected Septic Arthritis (fluid on the hip). 

 

Eight days later Anya’s temperature kept spiking, and despite being on antibiotics and painkillers, she was referred to Alder Hey Hospital with a suspected bone infection. After another battery of tests Anya underwent a second operation on her pelvis. Ten days later, her temperature had settled, she was walking again and seemed happy and settled. 

 

Anya had only been home for a week when she started showing signs of having pain in her hip. The next morning she was readmitted to Alder Hey Hospital. The pain steadily increased until poor Anya was in agony. Several days later, following many tests, Anya’s parents were given the crushing news: their precious baby girl had stage 4 neuroblastoma. 

 

Over the course of a week Anya received large doses of morphine and was hooked up to a pain pump. The painkillers didn’t control the pain well and made Anya increasingly lose consciousness. Her devastated parents thought they were watching their daughter slip away from them. The doctors feared that her condition was critical, so they started chemotherapy a week earlier than scheduled. 

 

Anya is receiving frontline chemotherapy at Alder Hey Hospital now and is doing well, but Naomi and Graeme are conscious that she has a long way to go in her battle against this cruel disease. 

 

Anya’s parents want their daughter to receive the proven Children’s Oncology Group neuroblastoma treatment, which uses the antibody ch14-18, and cytokines IL-2 and GM-CSF. This treatment will help stimulate Anya’s immune system so that her own body should be able to recognise and attack the neuroblastoma if it was to return. This is always a worry with this deadly disease, where the relapse rates are high. 

 

The treatment Anya will receive abroad is not available in the same format in the UK, where anti-GD2 and IL2, or just anti-GD2 alone, are given as part of a randomised trial. The proposed treatment and associated costs of £250,000 will not be funded by the NHS which is why Anya needs your help. 

 

Naomi said, “I hear myself talking about Anya’s illness and what she has been through, and sometimes it doesn't seem real. It’s only once Anya is in bed or I get a quiet minute to myself that it hits me that this is our reality now. This is our little girl who is very poorly. And the odds are against her. 

 

The baby that I have watched grow from a tiny new-born to a happy toddler is fighting for her life. My heart breaks a bit more with every sad thought, and I’m scared to think about the future as I know it is so uncertain. All we want is for Anya to have the chance to grow up. 

 

But every time Anya smiles or giggles or acts like a 'normal' toddler it gives us hope that she can beat this disease. Please do what you can to give our daughter the fighting chance she deserves”.

 

 Hello everyone, my name is Anya!  I am 2 years old. I love my dolly and Beauty and the Beast is my favourite!” 

Anya has neuroblastoma, a frighteningly aggressive childhood cancer. She has already had lots of cancer treatments in the UK and has done really well so far. Now Anya’s best chance of beating the disease lie in receiving Immunotherapy. The treatment Anya will receive abroad is not available in the same format in the UK, where anti-GD2 and IL2, or just anti-GD2 alone, are given as part of a randomised trial. The proposed treatment and associated costs of £250,000 will not be funded by the NHS which is why Anya needs your help.

 

If you can help, please make a donation to the Neuroblastoma Alliance UK, or organise a fundraising event to raise money for Anya's Appeal. Please give as much as you can afford to help save Anya and other children like her. Every donation for Anya, no matter how small, will make a difference.

 

In March 2011, Naomi and Graeme were blessed with their first child, a beautiful baby girl they christened Anya. At 16 months old, Anya was a late walker. When she started to limp and then couldn’t bear weight on her left leg just 3 days later, parents Naomi and Graeme took her straight to their local Accident and Emergency. Anya was diagnosed as having an ‘Irritable Hip’ and sent home with anti-inflammatory drugs. Within 4 days Anya was back brushing up on her new walking skills. 

 

But almost a month later, the same symptoms came back, so the family went back to A&E. By midnight that night Anya was undergoing an emergency operation for suspected Septic Arthritis (fluid on the hip). 

 

Eight days later Anya’s temperature kept spiking, and despite being on antibiotics and painkillers, she was referred to Alder Hey Hospital with a suspected bone infection. After another battery of tests Anya underwent a second operation on her pelvis. Ten days later, her temperature had settled, she was walking again and seemed happy and settled. 

 

Anya had only been home for a week when she started showing signs of having pain in her hip. The next morning she was readmitted to Alder Hey Hospital. The pain steadily increased until poor Anya was in agony. Several days later, following many tests, Anya’s parents were given the crushing news: their precious baby girl had stage 4 neuroblastoma. 

 

Over the course of a week Anya received large doses of morphine and was hooked up to a pain pump. The painkillers didn’t control the pain well and made Anya increasingly lose consciousness. Her devastated parents thought they were watching their daughter slip away from them. The doctors feared that her condition was critical, so they started chemotherapy a week earlier than scheduled. 

 

Anya is receiving frontline chemotherapy at Alder Hey Hospital now and is doing well, but Naomi and Graeme are conscious that she has a long way to go in her battle against this cruel disease. 

 

Anya’s parents want their daughter to receive the proven Children’s Oncology Group neuroblastoma treatment, which uses the antibody ch14-18, and cytokines IL-2 and GM-CSF. This treatment will help stimulate Anya’s immune system so that her own body should be able to recognise and attack the neuroblastoma if it was to return. This is always a worry with this deadly disease, where the relapse rates are high. 

 

The treatment Anya will receive abroad is not available in the same format in the UK, where anti-GD2 and IL2, or just anti-GD2 alone, are given as part of a randomised trial. The proposed treatment and associated costs of £250,000 will not be funded by the NHS which is why Anya needs your help. 

 

Naomi said, “I hear myself talking about Anya’s illness and what she has been through, and sometimes it doesn't seem real. It’s only once Anya is in bed or I get a quiet minute to myself that it hits me that this is our reality now. This is our little girl who is very poorly. And the odds are against her. 

 

The baby that I have watched grow from a tiny new-born to a happy toddler is fighting for her life. My heart breaks a bit more with every sad thought, and I’m scared to think about the future as I know it is so uncertain. All we want is for Anya to have the chance to grow up. 

 

But every time Anya smiles or giggles or acts like a 'normal' toddler it gives us hope that she can beat this disease. Please do what you can to give our daughter the fighting chance she deserves”. 

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