Dear all

Three years ago, my son Jack went to the doctor for what we thought was just a routine check-up for the flu. During the examination, the doctor carried out some additional checks and discovered that Jack had a rare JNA tumour — a Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma. This type of tumour typically affects adolescent boys and develops in the nasal area.

In Jack’s case, the tumour grew aggressively, reaching the front of his brain and eventually into the area around his eye. Sadly, this led to the loss of vision in his left eye.

Due to the tumour’s aggressive nature, Jack underwent an embolisation followed by an urgent 12-hour operation to remove it. While the surgery was largely successful, only around 80% of the tumour could be removed due to its position. Unfortunately, the remaining tumour began growing again soon afterwards.

Thankfully, Jack was quickly referred to University College London Hospital (UCLH), where he received advanced proton therapy — a highly targeted form of radiation treatment. The treatment was intense, but it worked, and I’m incredibly relieved to say that today, the tumour has almost completely disappeared.

At the end of May, I’ll be taking on the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for the UCLH Charity Cancer Fund, in gratitude for the incredible care Jack received, and to help support others going through similar journeys.

If you’re able to donate, your support would mean a great deal.

Please note: platforms like JustGiving are for-profit and often encourage a voluntary contribution or commission on donations. We encourage you to double-check this when donating to ensure your gift goes where it’s most needed.

Thank you so much,

Jamie

Over 14,000 people every year are treated for cancer at University College Hospital, and this number is rising annually. Our patients come from across the UK though mostly from north London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

University College Hospital aims to ensure that all people with cancer, and their families and carers receive a world-class service from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. To achieve this aim and to support our patients, we have created the University College Hospital Cancer Fund which assists with important areas of work above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.