A race against time to raise the £100,000 it would take to allow a Moray toddler to receive potential life-saving cancer treatment is approaching a critical phase.
It is hoped that an appeal will raise the required funding that would allow Eilidh Paterson to travel to the United States for trial drugs that will not be available in this country until at least next year.
Now Eilidh’s family, who live near Aberchirder, are redoubling efforts as the fund has managed to raise over £40,000 in just a few weeks. The family are well aware that if the funding is not in place by June then the chance could be lost forever.
Eilidh’s mother Gail Paterson said: “No matter what she had had done to her she is always smiling.
“I think she has had two really bad weeks – she went through the majority of her first chemotherapy with no side effects, well few apart from hair loss, and it was only when she had a high dose of chemo that she suffered bad side effects.”
Eilidh will finish a course of antibody treatment at the end of May – after that she would need to undergo the treatment immediately to increase her chances of avoiding a relapse of the tumours returning.
“The trial itself has to be done a specific amount of time after she finishes treatment,” Mrs Paterson explained, adding: “If it is not done in that time then it does not happen.
“She needs every chance she can get – she could relapse in weeks, months – years, we just don’t know but she deserves every possible chance to stop it from coming back.
“It has already taken her chance of ever becoming a mum, so I don’t want it to take everything else.”
Family and friends have been stunned by the “fantastic response” already by people from throughout the local and national community, but now they are hoping that can continue through this month until the target is reached.
Mrs Paterson said: “As a family we will never be able to sit back and relax – the danger will always be there. If we do not get her treatment in the USA and the cancer comes back then I will feel that I have not done everything I can for her.”
Anyone wishing to donate to Eilidh’s appeal can do so on line via Just Giving at https://www.justgiving.com/EileidhsJourney/
Planning to raise funds through an event for Eilidh? Let the editor know and we’ll help publicise your efforts.