Please open your hearts 💕 for Rizana and her family in Goa, India....a bright and beautiful little girl who I call "cheeky monkey" and who has just celebrated her 4th birthday. She was diagnosed in May 2017, at just 3 years old, with with a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. What first appeared to be a simple bump on her left lower leg turned out to be a malignant tumour. Further tests including PET-CT scans and biopsy at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, confirmed a diagnosis of Metastatic Aveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. Put simply, this means high grade cancer cells initially found in the muscle of the leg, have already spread to other parts of the body.
Rizana will soon complete 3 cycles of chemotherapy (VCD) carried out at a state hospital in Goa under the guidance of the oncology team in Mumbai. They will return to Mumbai for further assessment including a follow up PET-CT scan in mid August.
We have been friends with this family for almost 3 years and seen Rizana grow, learn and develop in a typical childlike way....so this must be a nightmare for the family......As well as trying to manage everything emotionally, they need to pay for specialist drugs and treatment as well as travel expenses.....A journey to Mumbai by train is not expensive, but takes 17 hours. A flight, more expensive , takes just 1 hour. What a difference for a sick child😷
Our cuts to the NHS in England are not good but in India these cancer drugs, doctors fees at specialist centres, scans etc. need to be paid for by the family.
So initially, this appeal is to help them manage these medical and travel expenses. Also perhaps buy Rizana some books and toys as she cannot attend nursery school. Maybe a treat for her and her baby brother....
And, who knows what the future will hold....but should it be necessary we hope Rizana can have access to the latest research and best medical treatment available. This brave little ⭐️ deserves a chance.