We will be taking part in the Three Peaks challenge on 18th June (climbing the three highest Mountains in the UK within 24 hours) in order to raise money for Adam Bird, a 6-year old boy who has been diagnosed with High Risk Neuroblastoma (MYCN amplified). This is an advanced and aggressive form of a rare cancer affecting around 100 children in the UK each year, most under the age of 6. For the past 8-months Adam has been undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment, regular invasive testing procedures and has received a host of other supporting medication and medical attention. Despite all the treatment he has not responded well and detectable cancer cells remain active in his bone marrow and throughout his body.

The treatment for high-risk Neuroblastoma children such as Adam is long and complex involving chemotherapy, stem-cell harvest, surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, stem-cell transplant, radiotherapy, oral chemotherapy and now additionally antibody therapy. Even after all this the chance of relapse remains high, and the overall survival rate is as low as 20% with current UK best practise treatment. Recent breakthrough antibody treatments in America (different from those available in the UK) have reduced the 2-year relapse rate significantly and offer renewed hope that more children may be completely cured of this terrible disease. America is also by far the best hope for relapsed Neuroblastoma children to get a 2nd chance at a cure.

An appeal has recently been launched to enable Adam to go to America for these treatments that are not yet available in the UK. We have to raise the funds now – if we wait any longer it is likely to be too late to get the money we need. Treatment in America is costly. We will need to take Adam to America for many months at a time, possibly more than once, and the cost for each visit will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. But it could make the ultimate difference to Adam’s future.

Further details on Adam's story : http://www.adamsappeal.org