Charity appeal for young girl with rare cancer

[thefunkygibbons]

I do not know this young girl just a link from another forum, but her story deserves wider publication

 

Today though, I am appealing on behalf of an 11yr old girl who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 (High-Risk) Neuroblastoma, a very rare, aggressive and difficult to treat form of childhood cancer. Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year, most of which are below the age of 5 and generally have a better prognosis as the older the child is the worse the prognosis is.

 

The NHS don't have a treatment that can help in this relapsed case, giving her less than a 10% chance of survival however treatment in the states costs 500k and is required urgently. Her family have sold their home and posessions and have prepared a very good website to raise funds. The fund is 65% there but time is of the essence

 

This must be every parents worse nightmare and we can all help a little.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this appeal.

 

Please see the attached link. Thanks Paul.

 

The Neuroblastoma Alliance - Vanessa Riddle Appeal.

http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal

[littleoldladysaint]

Have donated - as you say, every parents/grandparents nightmare.

[trousers]

Heart wrenching. Have donated.

[Seaford Saint]

Is this real? I really hope it's not another Burzynski clinic scam. Lot of attention about one a couple of months ago and any 'special expensive treatment in the US' immediately draws attention. These clinics cash in on the hope of desperate parents, but the problem is, question them, stand up for them and you're viewed as taking away that hope. Hopefully it's not that and there's decent research to show results, but from that info I'm not sure.

 

The Burzynski one made me feel sick as famous people got involved, thousands and thousands raised and all just for people to profit from a horrific situation.

 

You can tell the dodgy clinics easily and when questioned, rather than producing evidence to support claims, they get defensive and get the lawyers involved.

 

http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2011/11/the-false-hope-of-the-burzynski-clinic.html

 

This is well worth a read anyway. As I said, it's very difficult ground as the truth can remove hope from desperate families, but if it's false hope, I think that's a good thing, removing financial gain for the unscrupulous, financial ruin for many families, and taking away precious time they could have spent together.

 

Again, hope this isn't the case on this one, but mysterious 500k treatment in the states when there's no help here sounds very, very dubious.

 

What do you know about the Burzynski clinic? i saw the film etc