Story
Please read Robyn's story below :
Robyn Higgins is a seven year old little girl, who in May of this year was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer. This cancer is rare and aggressive and only affects children under the age of 10.
So far Robyn has endured 8 doses of chemotherapy, injections requiring intravenous antibiotics, blood/platelet transfusions, stem cell harvests and bone marrow aspirates. At the beginning of september Robyn underwent a nine hour operation to remove a tumour in her pelvis which had wrapped itself around various nerves within her pelvis and spine, this has since caused her repetitive neuropathic pain in her right leg and she is currently unable to walk though hopefully this should improve in time with intense physiotherapy.
Early this month, (October), Robyn was admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital where she has received a high dose of chemotherapy to 'wipe out' her bone marrow. She then had previously harvested stem cells given back to her to assist her bone marrow in its recovery. This has left her extremely ill and in hospital for another month at least.
Later, Robyn will have to endure a further 3 weeks of radiotherapy and then 140 days of oral medication. After all this her condition will be reasssessed, Lisa and Greg have been told that if the cancer returns, it will not be treated in a curative way. The chances of relapse with this type of cancer are extremely high.
Her parents Lisa and Greg have found a hospital in New York called the Sloane Kettering Memorial which has pioneered a new treatment using anti-body therapy which has been very successful. This treatment is not available in the UK, and is not likely to be anytime soon. If Robyn does not receive this treatment, her current chance of survival stands at only 40%.
To get Robyn there we need to raise in excess of £300,000. We only have until New Year to do this so time is of the essence.
So far Robyn has endured 8 doses of chemotherapy, injections requiring intravenous antibiotics, blood/platelet transfusions, stem cell harvests and bone marrow aspirates. At the beginning of september Robyn underwent a nine hour operation to remove a tumour in her pelvis which had wrapped itself around various nerves within her pelvis and spine, this has since caused her repetitive neuropathic pain in her right leg and she is currently unable to walk though hopefully this should improve in time with intense physiotherapy.
Early this month, (October), Robyn was admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital where she has received a high dose of chemotherapy to 'wipe out' her bone marrow. She then had previously harvested stem cells given back to her to assist her bone marrow in its recovery. This has left her extremely ill and in hospital for another month at least.
Later, Robyn will have to endure a further 3 weeks of radiotherapy and then 140 days of oral medication. After all this her condition will be reasssessed, Lisa and Greg have been told that if the cancer returns, it will not be treated in a curative way. The chances of relapse with this type of cancer are extremely high.
Her parents Lisa and Greg have found a hospital in New York called the Sloane Kettering Memorial which has pioneered a new treatment using anti-body therapy which has been very successful. This treatment is not available in the UK, and is not likely to be anytime soon. If Robyn does not receive this treatment, her current chance of survival stands at only 40%.
To get Robyn there we need to raise in excess of £300,000. We only have until New Year to do this so time is of the essence.