Ashley's fund has been created to provide Ashley with the best quality of life whilst he is fighting against a form of cancer called Neuroblastoma for the second time.
All funds raised will go towards equipment, alternative therapies and services to provide a more fulfilling and better quality of life in the uncertain and undeterminable time left with our Son, Ashley.
Ashley, our son, is a very happy and cheeky little boy. At the age of just 5 years he was diagnosed with stage 4 mycn amplified neuroblastoma on the 9th June 2008.
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive childhood cancer. The disease is caused by abnormal neuroblasts or nerve cells which are special cells present in babies and children that help create the adult nervous system.
Tumours originate from the sympathetic nervous system, which runs from the neck to the tailbone and can spread to other organs, and bones and (bone marrow). If the cancer is diagnosed early, surgery and chemotherapy can be curative, but in 70% of cases the disease is not diagnosed until it has already widely spread, unfortunately this was the situation with Ashley’s case.
Upon diagnosis Ashley had a 12- 10 - 8 cm tumor above his left kidney and wide spread disease to the bone marrow in legs, hips, shoulders and 1 arm.
Ashley’s little body started an incredibly hard battle to rid the neuroblastoma in it, Ashley under went 70 days of chemotherapy called RAPID COJEC a mixture of Vincristine, Carboplatin, Etoposide, Cisplatin and Cyclophosphamide. The neuroblastoma did respond, halving the size of the mass and clearing 95% of the bone marrow, but unfortunately there were still 4 small ‘hot spots’ that were visible on scans.
Ashley then went on the have 4 rounds of a harsher mix of chemotherapy called TVD (Topotecane, Vincristine and Doxorubicin). This helped clear some of the cleared the secondary cancers which were wide spread areas. Ashley then underwent a complex operation to remove the remaining tumor, a stem cell harvest, high dose chemotherapy Busulfan and melphalan at dangerously high levels which in it self was is life threatening. This made Ashley very ill and wiped out any immunity that was still clinging on. His immunity could now take years to recover to the same as that of the average child.
After high dose Ashley had 14 rounds of radiation to the abdomen area, he then went on to start a six month course of differentiation therapy this is used to turn immature neuroblastoma cells, into mature cells that die.
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive childhood cancer. The disease is caused by abnormal neuroblasts or nerve cells which are special cells present in babies and children that help create the adult nervous system.
Tumours originate from the sympathetic nervous system, which runs from the neck to the tailbone and can spread to other organs, and bones and (bone marrow). If the cancer is diagnosed early, surgery and chemotherapy can be curative, but in 70% of cases the disease is not diagnosed until it has already widely spread, unfortunately this was the situation with Ashley’s case.
Upon diagnosis Ashley had a 12- 10 - 8 cm tumor above his left kidney and wide spread disease to the bone marrow in legs, hips, shoulders and 1 arm.
Ashley’s little body started an incredibly hard battle to rid the neuroblastoma in it, Ashley under went 70 days of chemotherapy called RAPID COJEC a mixture of Vincristine, Carboplatin, Etoposide, Cisplatin and Cyclophosphamide. The neuroblastoma did respond, halving the size of the mass and clearing 95% of the bone marrow, but unfortunately there were still 4 small ‘hot spots’ that were visible on scans.
Ashley then went on the have 4 rounds of a harsher mix of chemotherapy called TVD (Topotecane, Vincristine and Doxorubicin). This helped clear some of the cleared the secondary cancers which were wide spread areas. Ashley then underwent a complex operation to remove the remaining tumor, a stem cell harvest, high dose chemotherapy Busulfan and melphalan at dangerously high levels which in it self was is life threatening. This made Ashley very ill and wiped out any immunity that was still clinging on. His immunity could now take years to recover to the same as that of the average child.
After high dose Ashley had 14 rounds of radiation to the abdomen area, he then went on to start a six month course of differentiation therapy this is used to turn immature neuroblastoma cells, into mature cells that die.
Devastatingly on the 22nd December 2009 just before Christmas and Ashley’s 7th birthday we were told that a routine 6 month check up has revealed that Ashley has relapsed despite all the treatment he has already gone through.
The routine scan showed Ashley has a 1 - 2 cm lesion to the brain and neuroblastoma has re-established itself within bone marrow.
There are no words to describe how sad and worrying this is. Currently there is NO viable proven treatment or protocol in the UK for a relapse. The doctors in the UK can only do there best with the treatments and facilities that they have.
Please, please help support Ashley in what will be the hardest battle of his life.
The routine scan showed Ashley has a 1 - 2 cm lesion to the brain and neuroblastoma has re-established itself within bone marrow.
There are no words to describe how sad and worrying this is. Currently there is NO viable proven treatment or protocol in the UK for a relapse. The doctors in the UK can only do there best with the treatments and facilities that they have.
Please, please help support Ashley in what will be the hardest battle of his life.
