Brave little girl, 8, with cancer gets Christmas wish as stranger helps fund £400k life-saving treatment – The Sun
A BRAVE little girl with cancer has had her Christmas wish come true after a stranger came forward to fund the £400k needed for life-saving treatment.
Anna Drysdale, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when she was just five and is currently in remission for a second time.
But the odds of her condition returning are very high and her parents have been fundraising for her to have a new immunotherapy treatment in New York.
On Sunday, the family announced on their JustGiving page that they had reached their £400,00 target thanks to an anonymous benefactor.
Generous members of the public had already helped raise £140,000 towards Anna's treatment and aftercare.
And parents Ian and Keeley Drysdale are desperate for that campaign to continue as they anticipate a raft of extra costs.
Delighted
Writing on their JustGiving page, they said: "ANNA'S CHRISTMAS WISH COMES TRUE!
"We are delighted to announce that Anna is going to New York!
"Fundraising will continue into 2020 to support additional costs but through the generosity of our local and wider community and an incredible anonymous donation, a major milestone has been reached and Anna can make a start on her immunotherapy treatment in the New Year.
"Thank you to all of our Team Anna champions near and far. We are overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for everyone's continued support."
A major milestone has been reached and Anna can make a start on her immunotherapy treatment in the New Year
The youngster was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in February 2017 and since then has undergone two years of gruelling treatment.
She has had several rounds of intensive chemotherapy as well as major surgery to remove the large tumour.
Anna also had her whole humerus from her left shoulder and arm removed and replaced with the fibula bone from her right leg.
The lovely @jacksavoretti came and met Anna this afternoon! Thank you Jack for all your support!!! #getannatonewyork #GoTeamAnna #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #teamanna #jacksavoretti #jack #jacksavorettifans
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It left her in a wheelchair and needing daily physiotherapy to walk again and be able to move her arm.
While the chemo left her bones so weak, she suffered fractures in her leg and needed a bone graft, which took months to heal.
Brief hope
Keeley said: "For a few months last year, Anna had a brief spell in remission in which time she grew stronger and became more mobile, even managing to walk to school some days.
"She's always determined to spend as much time as possible with her beloved friends. She kept saying how she loved feeling 'normal' again.
"We attempted to get our lives back on track and regain some happy home life and stability for Anna and her sisters Sarah and Ellen, but unfortunately this didn’t last long."
Last November, the family was told that Anna had another tumour – this time in the soft tissue of her shoulder.
Keeley said: "Telling her this news was heartbreaking. She was so scared at the thought of going through it all again, and of losing her beautiful new hair."
She was so scared at the thought of going through it all again, and of losing her beautiful new hair
Anna underwent more surgery to remove the tumour the week before Christmas last year and started on five more rounds of intensive chemotherapy and six weeks of daily radiotherapy.
She is currently in remission for a second time but undergoes regular MRI and CT scans as the risk of her condition returned are very high.
"The NHS has helped us enormously since Anna's diagnosis and we are truly grateful to each and every person who has helped us and cared for her but we have to be realistic and recognise that treatment options here are now very limited," Keeley said.
ANNA'S CHRISTMAS WISH COMES TRUE! Go Team Anna are delighted to announce that Anna is going to New York! Fundraising will continue into 2020 to support additional costs but through the generosity of our local and wider community and an incredible anonymous donation, a major milestone has been reached and Anna can make a start on her immunotherapy treatment in the New Year. Thank you to all of our Team Anna champions, near and far. We are overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for everyone's continued support. HAPPY CHRISTMAS! #wegotAnnatoNewYork #goTeanAnna #ChristmasMiracle #dreamscometrue
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The family began researching their options and came across a new targeted therapy treatment for the prevention of recurrence of osteosarcoma at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York.
Anna was approved for the treatment and the family started desperately campaigning to raise the vital £400,000 needed.
After hearing about their plight in the news, an unnamed donor came forward to help and the family found out yesterday Anna would be going to New York.
Keeley told the Express: “We just can’t believe it. I’m still in shock and so grateful. Anna can be given a chance at a life without cancer now and it is the most amazing Christmas present we could have ever dreamed of.
“We lived in hope but never knew if we would get here. We have no idea who this person is. I could walk past them in the street and have no idea that is the person who stepped in to save my baby.
“They’ve said they want no recognition, nothing in return, they’ve just been touched by the story and by everyone coming together for Anna."
What isosteosarcoma?
Osteosarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer most common in teenagers and young adults.
Pain is the most common symptom, which can be a feeling of tenderness to a persistent ace.
The pain is most commonly felt in the arms or legs and can sometimes be mistaken for arthritis or growing pains.
There are only about 530 new cases of osteosarcoma in the UK each year, according to McMillan.
Treatment:
Most people have a combination of treatments.
Surgery is one of the most important treatments as it is used to remove the tumour from the bone.
Chemotherapy is also used to shrink the tumour.
Anna has also had support from singer Jack Savoretti whose daughter attends the same school.
He enlisted some of his A-list pals to help, including singers Lewis Capaldi and Olly Murs, and actor Jamie Dornan.
They have been spreading the word, and her #TeamAnna hashtag, to help reach her raise funds.
He is also pals with Sir Richard Branson's son Sam and revealed that Virgin Atlantic has offered to cover the costs of the flights to America for the family.
Jack said: “Upon meeting Anna I fell in love with this magical little girl and her amazing family. Like with any cancer there is no certainty, but this is her greatest chance of survival.
“Right now everything is dormant, she is the perfect candidate for this type of treatment. That sense of urgency is why people are getting behind this so much.”
Initially he was going to write a charity song, but with time against him, he decided to focus on increasing the awareness of Anna’s story nationally.
Jack explained: “I told her family to leave it with me. The community in Chipping Norton means so much to me and my family. They’ve changed our lives and I wanted to give something back.”
- If you would like to donate, then visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/anna-drysdale
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