In loving memory of Chloe Balloqui

We are devastated to share the news that beautiful Chloe passed away on 4th February 2022.

Her family shared this message:

Our beautiful, brave, loving Chloe slipped away peacefully this morning at 6.45am, 4th of February World Cancer Day. 8 years 3 months and 11 days since diagnosis of stage 4 Metastatic Neuroblastoma Cancer. We listened to Moana into the early hours before she settled down to sleep. We are forever grateful to all the nurses whove showered Chloe with love, care and professionalism over the past 9 weeks on Elephant Ward and to everyone that has helped and supported us. No more pain, no more suffering, just love and gratitude for Chloe being the best daughter and sister.

We love you baby girl

Chloe's Story

Chloe had always been a bubbly healthy little girl, she was never ill. At 18 months, her parents, Karen and Richard, took her to the doctor after she complained that her tummy hurt. On referral to a dietician, the advice was to stop giving Chloe milk and leave her on formula milk. Chloe seemed fine.

Eight months later, Chloe's parents noticed that their daughter's appetite had reduced and she had become very lethargic, sweaty and pale, with her tummy becoming very bloated. She was having difficulty walking and her parents became seriously concerned.

Visits to the GP and local A&E resulted in Chloe undergoing a range of tests. On 25th October, an ultrasound was performed. Karen said that within an hour our world was turned upside down. We were given the devastating news that our precious daughter Chloe had a tumour in her tummy believed to be a form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma.

Having never heard the word, Karen and Richard were in complete shock, but things moved at breakneck speed.

Just three days later the family were transferred to Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital for further tests. Karen explains: We were told she had advanced stage 4 high-risk metastatic neuroblastoma, meaning the tumours had spread throughout her body. She had a large tumour in her abdomen and the cancer was in her bone marrow throughout her skeleton.

Like more than half of children diagnosed with neuroblastoma, the cancer was already at an advanced stage by the time it was discovered. It felt as if we were going to lose her at any minute, they said.

The family was determined not to lose hope and Chloe started treatment. Karen and Richard tried to keep Chloe unaware of their mounting fears. Chloe spent months in hospital enduring countless tests with chemotherapy surgery, stem cell harvesting, high dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy surgery and immunotherapy.

Karen and Richard had identified an American drug trial which aimed to prevent neuroblastoma coming back after immunotherapy. In a whirlwind six-week campaign, Chloe's Appeal raised more than the £100,000 required to pay for this experimental treatment (and associated costs), which was scheduled to begin in early 2015.

Cruelly, Chloe's final tests before travelling to the US showed that the cancer had returned, which meant that Chloe could not go to Michigan for treatment for the foreseeable future.

To get back in remission Chloe underwent 14 more cycles of chemotherapy and 14 cycles of radiotherapy to her sternum but seemed no closer to remission. As the disease had not changed in the 14 months post relapse, Chloe underwent a surgical biopsy in March 2016. The results showed complete differentiated disease, it meant the neuroblastoma cells had matured and she required a further MIBG scan to confirm the progress. This MIBG scan came back clear and Chloe and her family got the wonderful news that Chloe was in remission for the second time.

High-risk neuroblastoma has a high rate of relapse, and the survival rate for relapsed neuroblastoma is very low. Relapsed neuroblastoma is particularly challenging to treat and there are limited options to treat it; all of which exist in the form of clinical trials in the UK and overseas. Many families, just like Chloe's, will choose for their child to access a clinical trial, in the hope of preventing a relapse.

Chloe accessed treatment in New York as part of the Bivalent Vaccine clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. The trial hopes to prevent neuroblastoma from returning by causing Chloes immune system to attack any neuroblastoma cells that may come back.

Chloe and her family first travelled to New York in June 2016 for Chloe to receive her first vaccine and finished treatment in summer 2017

We feel extremely fortunate to be in this position Without all your kindness and donations to Chloes Campaign we would not be so fortunate to access this preventative treatment path for Chloe. We have no guarantees but you have helped us to know that we as parents have done all we can to keep Chloe in remission- Richard and Karen, Chloe's parents.

On February 13th 2020 Chloe had her routine 3 monthly check at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Ultrasound, bloods and urine were all fine.

On February 15th Chloe started suffering with a headache on the left side of her head, her left eye was also hurting, she became lethargic, pale and off her food. All worrying signs, her consultant arranged an MRI for 20th February. Chloe's parents found out on the 21st February the day before Chloe's 9th birthday there was a tumour behind her left eye.

Chloe was taken to surgery on 27th Feb to biopsy the tumour. Chloe had a bone marrow aspirate on the 4th March and was admitted into hospital due to the severe pain she was now in. She was given lots of pain relief medicines to make her more comfortable and another MRI took place 5th March and an MIBG scan 6th March. Results from the biopsy and scans showed it was neuroblastoma and it was growing rapidly. Chloe started on the Beacon trial on the 9th March. The trial is randomised and she was given the arm of Dinutuximab (antibody) and chemotherapy TemozoLouise and Topotecan.

Chloe completed the Beacon trial in July 2020 and started radiotherapy in August 2020. In January 2021 Chloe underwent a 4-and-a-half-hour surgery to remove her tumour via her nose which was successful.

After initial scan results pointed to a third remission with no active neuroblastoma cells being detected, Chloe's parents were devastated to be told that another tumour had grown rapidly in the same spot behind Chloe's left eye.

The family decided the best course of treatment to try and get Chloe back into remission would be to travel to Spain for Chloe to receive 4 cycles of the HITS protocol in Barcelona. The family relocated to Spain in July 2021 and Chloe started treatment. Initial treatment stabilised Chloe's disease but disease reassessment scans in November 2021 showed the tumour had progressed. Chloe came off the HITS protocol and the family travelled back to the UK for Chloe to continue treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Chloe passed away peacefully on the morning of the 4th of February 2022.