Family of toddler with rare cancer needs £50,000 by end of month after major setback
The parents of a toddler with a rare form of cancer say they urgently need £50,000 before the end of the year, after suffering a major setback while receiving specialist treatment abroad.
Rachel and Nick Samuel, from Muswell Hill, north London, say the chance of 22-month-old Robin going into remission would be "the best possible Christmas present".
Robin, has high-risk neuroblastoma, a condition that only 50 children in the UK are thought to have, with a 50-50 five-year survival rate.
ITV London previously reported how Robin is undergoing a specialist form of immunotherapy in Barcelona, costing the family tens of thousands of pounds.
If they wanted to get the treatment carried out by the NHS, licencing laws would have required Robin to undergo another high dose of chemotherapy first.
Given the toll this could have on Robin's body, including potential seizures, infections and secondary cancers, the Samuels didn't think it was worth the risk given that there was no visible cancer cells in his body at the time.
The toddler's parents said treatment at Sant Joan de Deu hospital has given him the "best chance" of having a cancer-free life, but they've hit another stumbling block.
In an update on their online fundraising page, the Samuels said: "We were expecting to be able to write to you today, on the first day of his third immunotherapy cycle, to tell you that Robin was in remission and only needed a few more rounds of treatment.
"The MRI and Bone Marrow scans, and tests he had last week were clear of cancer. But when we arrived at the hospital to start treatment, we hit a bump in the road, as the PET scan had revealed a stubborn 2.8cm lesion on one of his ribs.
"This was noted on the initial scans, but Robin’s team of doctors weren’t too concerned at the time, since these bother spots usually clear up during active treatment. But this one didn’t."
Robin's parents say that while he is still on the road to remission, they need to pause his current course of treatment to deal with the growth before it spreads.
It will require 10 days of chemotherapy and 14 days of targeted radiotherapy. The Samuels added: "As such, we now need to raise an extra £50,000 this month, and we need to do it fast."
"Robin had been doing so well with his treatment here in Barcelona, it was a devastating blow to hear that he still has some cancer and now needs further chemotherapy and radiotherapy," Ms Samuel told ITV London.
"It wasn't the Christmas we imagined but we have faith that he will get through this, like the fighter he is, and we'll be ready to embrace a much better year ahead for Robin."
The setback has cost us an additional £50,000 so we're asking people to add Robin to their Christmas lists this year. It would be the best present ever, for us as a family."
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