Meet Drew - he's currently in Birmingham Children's Hospital suffering from an aggressive and rare tumour. At first, Drew was diagnosed with a rare Rhabdoid Tumour. However, after weeks of testing, doctors have now discovered that it is in fact a Chordoma Tumour, which is even rarer and equally more difficult to treat as the research and diagnosis about them is so limited.

Chordoma is a rare primary bone cancer. The bones involved are those at the base of the skull, the vertebrae and the coccyx at the base of the spine.

In Drew's case the tumour, which initially presented at the base of his skull has now spread to his lungs and right arm, which is consistent to the symptoms of Chrordoma cancer. The ideal situation is to remove it and Drew is currently undergoing sessions of chemotherapy to see if this is possible. However, removal of the tumour is fraught with risks as it is so close to the spinal cord, brainstem and nerves around the base of the brain - it is difficult to remove the tumour completely without doing damage and requires highly specialised care. Whilst Chordomas are generally slow growing they tend to recur after treatment.

There are only a handful of centres globally who have the expertise to treat Chordoma Cancer. It is very likely that Drew and the family will be sent away to America/Europe to have specialist care and undergo treatment like Proton Beam Therapy/Clinical Trials. Whilst some of the costs may be supported by the NHS, the majority won’t. The next few weeks really are now critical for Drew!

The impact on the family has been instant and deeply emotional. Mel and Jon are currently bedside with Drew to ensure he gets 24/7 support. The sad thing about this story is, that it took six years for Mel and Jon to get Drew and now the fight is on to keep their only child.

Together, we can smash this target and get this boy the best treatment out there - every donation will ensure that we give Drew a chance to enjoy life once more.