Girl, 6, battling a rare cancer for the third time meets her idols Little Mix as her family launch an urgent appeal for treatment abroad amid fears her options are ‘running out’
- Rosie Veronica Mitchell, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, is battling neuroblastoma
- Her parents have so far raised £40,000 amid fears her options are ‘running out’
- Rosie’s dream last month came true when she met her favourite band Little Mix
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A six-year-old girl battling a rare cancer for the third time has met her idols Little Mix as her family launch an urgent appeal to send her abroad for treatment.
Rosie Veronica Mitchell, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, is battling neuroblastoma – a rare childhood cancer that usually starts in the abdomen.
Her parents have so far raised £40,000 amid fears her options are ‘running out’, as she nears the end of her grueling chemotherapy on the NHS.
If it is unsuccessful, they will spend the funds they have raised on sending Rosie to Germany or the US for further treatment or clinical trials.
Rosie’s dream last month came true as her parents organised for their daughter to meet her favourite pop stars Little Mix during their gig in Falkirk.
The hit girlband reportedly told her she was the ‘most gorgeous little girl they’d ever met’, and star Perrie Edwards even gave Rosie a cuddle.
Rosie’s dream last month came true as her parents organised for their daughter to meet her favourite pop stars Little Mix during their gig in Falkirk (pictured with the Little Mix members Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson Vocals, Leigh-Anne Pinnock)
Rosie Veronica Mitchell, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, is battling neuroblastoma – a rare childhood cancer that usually starts in the abdomen (pictured with her mother Donna-Louise Hurrell)
Speaking about her daughter’s dreams of meeting Little Mix coming true, Rosie’s mother Donna-Louise Hurrell said: ‘She loved it. It was fab.
‘They just said to her that she was the most gorgeous little girl they’d ever met. I think she loved meeting them because that’s her favourite band.’
In a heartbreaking blog post, Ms Hurrell added: ‘Rosie loves life so much and brings such joy and happiness to all who meet her.
‘She has fought this horrible disease since she was a baby, but now we are running out of options.
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‘NHS staff are amazing but without more resources and research there is little they can do by way of a cure beyond trying early-stage clinical trials.’
Ms Hurrell added: ‘We never wanted to be here but Rosie deserves the best shot we can give her.
The 40-year-old teacher said she and Rosie’s 42-year-old father, Ross Mitchell, are ‘so amazed’ and ‘completely overwhelmed’ by the support they have received so far.
She said: ‘I always found it hard to ask people to donate to save my child doing this has made me realise that there are good people out there that want to help.
Her parents have so far raised £40,000 amid fears her options are ‘running out’, as she nears the end of her grueling chemotherapy on the NHS
‘I am so thankful for everyone donations so far. We’ve been able to raise money through so many ways.’
The family have done sponsored haircuts, bucket collections and Rosie’s primary school even had a ‘blue day’, where they raised £8,000.
Rosie was only 15 months when she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, which strikes 100 children in the UK each year.
It is the same cancer that killed Bradley Lowery, the child who earned the admiration of millions across the world before he passed away last July.
Rosie, who lives with her parents and twin brothers Dylan and Lucas, had the cancer in her abdomen, face, skull, lymph nodes and bone marrow.
She underwent 18 months of grueling treatment, including high-dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant and immunotherapy, and spent six months in hospital.
The inspirational youngster, who also suffered a brain haemorrhage and liver disease along the way, managed to fight off the disease.
Rosie was only 15 months when she was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, which strikes 100 children in the UK each year
Rosie, who lives with her parents and twin brothers Dylan and Lucas (pictured), had the cancer in her abdomen, face, skull, lymph nodes and bone marrow
WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA?
Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children and usually starts in the abdomen.
Around 100 children, who are typically under five, are diagnosed every year in the UK.
The disease affects approximately 700 new children annually in the US.
In around half of cases, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the liver and skin.
Neuroblastoma’s cause is unclear. There may be a family-history link.
The main symptom is usually a lump in the abdomen, which may cause swelling, discomfort or pain.
If the disease affects the spinal cord, it can lead to numbness, weakness and loss of movement in the lower part of the body.
Treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is and the risk it will return after therapy.
Surgery, and chemo and radiotherapy, are commonly used.
Source: Cancer Research UK
Rosie was cancer free for two-and-a-half years. But in November 2016, the cancer returned and she was forced to undergo further treatment.
A routine scan in April this year revealed the cancer had once again returned in her bones, triggering a fresh round of chemotherapy.
Her treatment on the NHS finishes later this year, and now her family are beginning to look at other options abroad.
Ms Hurrell said because options are limited, many families fundraise to go to the US or Germany for treatment aimed at preventing the cancer coming back.
She added: ‘Our daughter is fighting cancer for the third time.
‘Doctors are trying to treat it but the options are becoming more and more limited, which is why we have turned to fundraise in case we may need to go elsewhere.
‘Once you relapse your options become limited. She is going through chemo at the moment but we’re looking for a clinical trial.’
Ms Hurrell continued: ‘But the way she has dealt with this is amazing. She just gets on with it, she’s a fighter.’
The family has also set up a fundraising page for Rosie through Solving Kids’ Cancer (SKC), who support families affected by neuroblastoma.
According to the charity, neuroblastoma spreads to other parts of the body, such as skin, bones and internal organs, in around half of cases.
So far the page has raised over £24,000. But the family have not named a desired amount, and will continue to appeal for funds.
It is unsure where Rosie may go for further treatment but The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the biggest neuroblastoma unit in the world.
Readers who wish to donate to Rosie can do so here.
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