On Saturday the 17th October Bill Grimsey, Mark Winsbury, Arran Leighton, Tony Skrzypecki and Jonathan Halford will be running the Amsterdam Marathon for the Neuroblastoma Society. Below is a description of what the charity is and also what Neuroblastoma is. This was written by Ashley Bates the father of Imogen who was diagnosed with 'High Risk Stage 4 Neuroblastoma' who has a very challenging time ahead of her. Thankyou for reading and taking time to visit our page.

 

In January 2008, after a 'routine' visit to our local GP following fairly typical child-like syptoms (swollen glands, loss of appetite), Imogen Mia Bates, aged 18 months was admitted to hospital, and within 24 hours diagnosed with 'High Risk Stage 4 Neuroblastoma'.

Neuroblastoma is a rare, and very aggressive childhood cancer which affects children between the ages 0-14, with around 50% of cases occuring in children younger than two years old.

Within 2 weeks of diagnosis, Imogen began a treatment protocol which lasted for approximately 12 months, and included intensive chemo-therapy, surgery, radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation. The treatment initially proved successful and Imogen stayed in remission for a further 14 months. Unfortunately, during a routine scan in March 2010 it was revealed that the disease had relapsed.

The long term survival rate for children initially diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma is approximately 30%. Relapsed stage 4 Neuroblastoma is currently considered to be incurable.

There are two ways to find a cure for Neuroblastoma. The first is to conduct research into the disease in order to find a better treatment. The second is to explore through clinical trials how effective existing and new combinations of treatment are in improving recovery from the disease, and survival.

The Neuroblastoma Society was formed in October 1982 by a group of parents whose children were suffering from, or had died from Neoroblastoma. The charity's sole purpose is the relief of children suffering from Neuroblastoma, and to achieve this it raises funds for medical research into improving both diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The Society also offers an opportunity for parents to give each other mutual help, support and comfort. The whole administration is carried out by voluntary effort so costs are kept to a minimum, with well over 90% of funds raised being spent directly on helping to fight the disease.

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.