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26
Feb
Huge response to fundraising appeal for Harrogate girl with rare cancer
A fundraising page for a 16-year-year old Harrogate Grammar School pupil diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer has raised about £14,000 within four days of being set up.
Elizabeth Hatton went to hospital with abdominal pain and bloating five weeks ago.
Scans revealed tumours on both ovaries, in her liver and a larger mass in her omentum and peritoneum.
Three days later mum Vicky Robayna said the family’s world was “torn apart” when Elizabeth was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumour – a sarcoma so rare there are only 12 cases a year in the UK, of which 80% are in males.
Nobody has found a treatment that works and only 15% of those diagnosed survive beyond five years.
Elizabeth’s seven-year-old brother Mateo decided to shave his hair to raise money for his big sister, who is undergoing chemotherapy, and Vicky set up a gofundme page to raise £25,000.
Money raised will fund treatment and help buy photography equipment for Elizabeth, whose dream is to be a professional photographer.
Vicky, who works as a teacher, said on gofundme:
Elizabeth and Mateo before her diagnosis.
Vicky told the Stray Ferret the family hoped to use some of the funds raised to arrange an online consultation with an American doctor called Emily Slotkin, who is regarded as the leading global expert on treating children with this kind of sarcoma.
An online consultation will cost £5,000 but the first priority is to get rid of the multiple liver tumours by chemotherapy.
Vicky, who said the family had received the best possible medical care, said funds would also be spent on making every day special for Elizabeth. She added:
She added the family had been overwhelmed by the response to the fundraising appeal and she was proud of Mateo’s willingness to lose his hair to help his sister:
Mateo hopes to shave his hair on Thursday this week, assuming Elizabeth is well enough from her chemotherapy that day to support him.
You can support the appeal to help Elizabeth here.
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