Devon family's bid to raise £150k for son's life-saving cancer treatment in Austria

A family from Devon is raising money to to pay for their nine-year-old son's life-saving cancer treatment in Austria.

Jack Middleton has bone cancer and doctors say they need to amputate his leg, however it will not be available on the NHS.

The nine-year-old will fly with his parents to Austria to see a pioneering cancer specialist who will remove his leg and also provide him with potentially life-saving drug therapy.

Jack's family has already raised over £100,000 themselves, but now they need another £150,000 to pay for a prosthetic leg after the operation so Jack can return to his favourite sport - motorcross bike racing.

The family's journey began in January when doctors at Torbay Hospital spotted something unusual in an X-ray when he came to hospital with a broken bone following a motorcross crash.

Paul described the 48 hours that followed as a "whirlwind".

"We were told Jack had osteosarcoma proximal (bone cancer) in his right tibia. We can't tell you what went through our minds - it felt like our guts had been twisted around and ripped out", he said.

Jack was then taken to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital where he was officially diagnosed.

Since then, his parents Paul and Stacey Middleton have stayed in Manchester where Jack is being treated - hundreds of miles away from their home in Devon.

"We asked the question of survival rates and were told between 60 per cent and 80 per cent", Paul said.

The family met with consultants who told them Jack's cancer was spreading and they needed to amputate above his knee. But that the only option available on the NHS was more chemotherapy.

The family say they were then told about a specialised clinic in Austria which could offer alternative, if the family could fund it.

Now a decision has been made to fly him over to the Medaustron Clinic in Wiener Austria, where his leg will be removed below the knee on July 4.

Dr Piero Fossati is a pioneering cancer specialist who will amputate Jack's right leg and provide him with what is hoped to be a revolutionary new drug therapy that could save his life.

The course of treatment will last around eight to nine weeks to help Jack's recovery.

Jack's dad Paul said: "All I wish is that I could swap places with him. The children's hospital have been brilliant but resources are capped.

"I have spoken to the doctor in Austria and he's very hopeful that we are catching it in time. It's not going to save his leg but if it saves his life."

Jack is one of three brothers, along with Harry, six, and 18-month-old baby Jake.

During his treatment, Jack contracted both MRSA and Covid while he underwent chemotherapy, losing all of his hair. To support him, little brother Harry also had his head shaved.

"In Manchester all they can offer is more chemo and more radiotherapy - that's what he's been having since January and it's not done a damn thing", dad Paul said.

"It's knocked him for six. He's lost all his lovely hair. He was upset about that so Harry wanted to go and have his shaved off as well. We've got two baldy boys now", he continued.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help them with Jack's fight against bone cancer and his rehab journey.

Airline company Jet2 has already offered to supply their flights to Salzburg.

"We feel so embarrassed to be begging to people for money," Paul said.

"With family and using all our savings we've got the money together for the operation. But we need £155,000 for the prosthetic sports leg he needs so that he will be able to pursue his career in motocross. That's the one thing that's keeping him going."

"We have today received a quote for a genuine X3 pro carve ottobock prosthesis leg used in specialised sports coming out at £137,000. That's on top of the £129,000 for the treatment and overseas stay," Paul said.

"Our families are behind us with as much help and funding as they could manage. It just simply isn't enough."

The family said: "Please please if you could find it in your hearts to help us through this nightmare we will be forever in your debt."