My story

The photo above is of the beautiful Vanessa Riddle and my daughter Katie sharing a happy moment during their treatment in 2009. Vanessa and her sister Olivia were a huge support to Katie and Libby, and Vanessa was a real role model as she fought this horrible disease with unbelievable courage. Her Parents Connie and Chris were a great support to Neil and I, and through a horrendous situation we became great friends.

Unfortnuately just before Christmas the family were given the devastating news that Vanessa has relapsed and will now need to travel privately to the US for life saving treatment.

Myself and a group friends have decided to challenge ourselves with a 30 mile cycle around Millport on Saturday 10th March 2012, which is the equivelant of 3 laps. Please Please Please sponsor us and help contribute to this very important appeal. Vanessa needs your help.

Please see the below message from Vanessa's Mum and Dad

In Feb 2009 our then 8 year old daughter Vanessa, was diagnosed with Stage 4 (High-Risk) Neuroblastoma, a very rare, aggressive and difficult to treat form of childhood cancer. Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year, most of which are below the age of 5 and generally have a better prognosis as the older the child is the worse the prognosis is.

 Since Feb 09, Vanessa has undergone many different treatments at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow, these include; 12 rounds of High Dose Chemotherapy, two 7 hour surgical operations, the removal of one of her kidneys, a stem cell transplant, Radiotherapy, Retinoic Acid treatment and Immunotherapy treatment……all of which was agonising to watch as parents never mind to have to endure as a child!

 Having undergone all this difficult and often very painful treatment the fact remained that due to a high relapse rate the long term prognosis for Vanessa's survival remained very poor with less than a 40% survival rate. All the same, Vanessa finished her treatment at Yorkhill Hospital in Aug 2010 and was given the all clear.

In Dec 2011 after routine scans, Connie and I were given the devastating news that Vanessa had relapsed. She has many hotspots on the skull, neck, spine, leg & knees. The UK doctors have told us that this time round there is very little chance of survival; “much less than 10%” they said, as we do not have any relapse protocols in the UK. This is due to the Government not investing any money into relapse treatments for this disease. This is a very different story to the United States where there are many relapse protocols and taking her there will dramatically increase her chances of long term survival.

 We now find ourselves in the position of urgently having to take Vanessa to the United States for relapse therapy treatment which the NHS will not fund. The treatment Vanessa requires is likely to involve Antibody Therapy and cost in excess of £500,000. Vanessa’s latest scan results will be used to determine which therapy is best and this is likely to happen at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

 Please help us to raise the funds in order to save Vanessa’s life.

 You can also donate by text message by texting VANY99 and your amount £1 -  £10 to 70070.

 Every single penny counts, no matter how little.

 Thank you for reading and donating

 Chris & Connie Riddle

My gallery 1

My Team

Team photo
Vanessa Riddle Appeal

My company

My charity

Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Alliance

Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Alliance

Charity Registration No. 1135601

We help children with neuroblastoma, a very aggressive childhood cancer, if they can't join UK trials or need a clinical treatment that is only available abroad. We help with treatment costs, support families and fund research.

Donations 424

present.png

Good luck ladies! It's a great cause.

Donation by Helen MacLeod on 31/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Donation by anna aitken on 30/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

heart.png

Good Luck Rhona, wishing you and the girls all the best for the cycle xxx

Donation by Gwen Mackie on 30/01/12

£30.00

+ £7.50 Gift Aid

windmill2.png

Good Luck Lisa and all the girls xx

Donation by Arlene Middleton on 30/01/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Trophy.png

Go to the girlies.....good luck to my gorgeous sister in law Jill Jackson from me the slightly lazier Gill Jackson .......Go girlies.....xxxxxxx

Donation by Gillian Jackson on 30/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

present.png

Well done, and good luck!! Go Rhona!!!

Donation by jackie taylor on 29/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

windmill2.png

Give it your best shot ladies! And rhona b, you better keep at the spin fit :-)

Donation by Claire Mitchell on 29/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

windmill.png

Good Luck Karen - I hope you whizz round! :0) Rosie xx

Donation by Rosie Coleridge on 29/01/12

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

Inmem.png

good luck lynn xx

Donation by catrina heggie on 29/01/12

£10.00

windmill2.png

Best of luck Lisa!! Love from the Barkers xxx

Donation by karen barker on 29/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Trumpet.png

Good Luck Kim and girls, with love Louise and Bob Stirton xx

Donation by Kim Agnew on 27/01/12

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

windmill.png

Good Luck Lisa u can do it luv from Mark, Jordan, Kelsey and Jack xx

Donation by Mark Lusk on 27/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Superman.png

I wish you all the very best on your fundraising event and my best wishes on reaching your goal

Donation by Karen McDowall on 27/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

ThumbsUp.png

Go girls !

Donation by Jill Jackson on 27/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Trophy.png

Good Luck Lisa x

Donation by Sharon Masterson on 27/01/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

smileys.png

Good luck to all taking part Suzanne

Donation by Suzanne Harwood on 27/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Trumpet.png

Donation by michael nicol on 27/01/12

Trophy.png

Good luck Lisa and the rest of the girls. Hope you reach your target soon. Laura x

Donation by Laura McKnight on 27/01/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

Trophy.png

Good luck Lisa and the rest of the girls x

Donation by Linda Anderson on 27/01/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

smileys.png

Great Cause, good luck and i hope you reach your target!!!

Donation by karen greig on 27/01/12

Trophy.png

Good Luck Lisa, well done to all the girls I hope you all make your target. Nicola McNulty & Family x

Donation by nicola mcNulty on 27/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

windmill2.png

Good luck Susan and all the ladies taking part in the cyle. DMTC East Kilbride x

Donation by Susan Buckman on 26/01/12

£203.00

smiley.png

Good luck Zoe and team. Hope the sun shines for you.

Donation by Carolyn Kay & John Reilly on 26/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

windmill.png

Good luck Lisa and Lauren its for a great cause xx

Donation by Jim and Dot Agnew on 25/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Trumpet.png

Go Kim you ,ll do it, for a brave wee girl x

Donation by Jim and Dot Agnew on 25/01/12

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations£18,399.29
  • Offline donations£962.00
  • Text donations£0.00
  • Total raised£19,361.29
  • Gift Aid£3,881.09

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.