Bmycharity.com fundraising page: FAN Olivia Downie - Olivia Downie appeal - Families Against Neuroblastoma (FAN)

Bmycharity.com fundraising page: FAN Olivia Downie - Olivia Downie appeal - Families Against Neuroblastoma (FAN)

I have pasted the appeal here in my blog.  Please Please donate something to try and help.

A few drinks in the pub or a valuable donation to help this little girl, it's a NO BRAINER !!!

Click on the link above to donate.

The plea from this little girls family.



Olivia Downie is 6 year old little girl from aberdeenshire in scotland.Back in janurary 2009 Olivia then 4,started complaining of severe backaches and tiredness,she looked very puffy and lethargic she screamed in sheer agony for weeks and weeks we could not help her or get any rest.We phoned NHS 24 and after numerous trips to our GP and visits to the outpatients department.no one could give any help or answers.We then took Olivia to Royal Aberdeen childrens hospital.They diagnosed cancer within 24 hours and then went on to diagnose Neuroblastoma cancer stage 4.We were shocked and horrified to the core,devastated...How could our sweet innocent child have cancer??!Doctors started Olivia on chemotherapy straight away to shrink the main tumour which was in her left adrenal gland beside her kidney,after chemo and other treatments which had horrible side effects such as losing all her beautiful blonde hair made her violently sick,lose her appetite,make her tired confused and angry and gave her gastrionomitus.They then operated to remove the tumour which turned out to be the size of a grapefruit.Olivia had to repeat another chemo to try and rid the bonemarrow disease then onto highdose chemo the hardest of all chemos.Olivia remained unconcious over her 5th birthday on christmas eve 2009 and christmas day.It was heartbreaking and soul destroying to watch our precious little girl go through all of this.Her dad Steven and i just wanted to take her pain and suffering away,would do anything to stop it,But there was nothing we could do except be there for Olivia.She then went on to have radiotherapy then was sent home for a short break.Through weeks and months of research we discovered Immunotherapy a new trial drug available to help stop Neuroblastoma in its tracks.The survival rate for neuroblastoma sufferers stands at a terrifying 20%.We wrote to our local MP and phoned anyone we could for advice as we knew getting Olivia on this treatment would be hard work.With the help of Olivias consultant our local mp and sheer persistance,we got the ok to take Olivia to Germany for Immunotherapy.The local community came together through different fundraising ideas and raised money to help send Olivia for her 6 cycles of treatment.All was going what seemed okay untill Recently on Olivias 4th cycle of treatment Prof Lode from universitatklinikum kinder oncology clinic,they performed Scans to check the progress of treatment.Sadly,they found 2 new tumours,the Neuroblastoma still managed to grow and progress whist on new treatment.This is a huge setback for Olivia and we as her parents are terrified of this relapse to say the least.Now Germany have started Olivia on a new chemotherapy called RIST therapy along with pills called inhibitors to boost the concoction.This method will be used until the 2 tumours found in the top of her spine and behind her breastbone shrink along with cancer which remains in the pelvis and shoulder bones.Then she will have operations to remove the beast of a disease left behind.Hopefull if all goes to plan Germany will then perform a treatment which involves myself or my husband Stevens Stem cells being removed so they can be given to olivia in the hope of building a healthier more efficient immune system so the body will be better at rejecting cancer.If you were to give her the exact same type of her own cells back,the horrifying process could just repeat itself which is why they need to use our cells as they will be different.All this treatment comes with substantial costs which is a huge burden on us.Aberdeen have basically given up on Olivia and advised us and Germany to just give Olivia treatment that will keep her pain down until she dies basically palative treatment.Germany have given us the option of RIST therapy and its our only and LAST hope.What would you decide as a parent?let your beautiful baby girl die or take a chance on new treatment???We Cant lose our precious daughter its unbearable and we cannot comprehend it!!!


A few people have came forward with fundraising ideas to help pay for the cost of all these gruelling treatments and travelling to Germany for the family.If anyone has any Fundraising ideas or any help they can offer please telephone us on 07516748849.

PLEASE help us to save our daughters life!!!


From the bottom of our hearts, Thankyou!