THE FAMILY of a seven-year-old boy from Newton Abbot who has an inoperable brain tumour have launched a fund-raising campaign to access new treatments.
Aubrey Rothery has been diagnosed with a fast-growing form of cancer which is incredibly rare, affecting between 20 and 30 children in the country every year.
Called a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, it develops in an area of the brain called the Pons which is responsible for basic functions such as breathing, heartbeat, swallowing, eyesight and balance.
The five year survival rate is currently only one per cent.
Aubrey, described as ‘beautiful, cheeky and energetic’, was diagnosed at the end of February.
He is currently receiving a course of radiotherapy which it is hoped will slow or stop the growth of the tumour for between six to 18 months.
His family hopes this will give them time to find a treatment suitable for him in the longer term.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up with the target of raising £25,000.
Pledges have already reached more than £5,000.
Dad Andrew Rothery said: ‘Amidst the shock and devastation of this diagnosis we have all felt incredibly supported by our family and friends and by the wonderful NHS doctors and nurses.
‘Although there is no established treatment pathway for this cancer, we want to enable Aubrey to access as many healing modalities as possible in the hope that something can help to reduce the growth of the tumour and potentially initiate its decomposition.’
The family is looking into new drug trials in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world; acupuncture, herbal and mineral remedies and cranial sacral therapy.
Andrew said: ‘The challenge we face feels huge at the moment.
‘We know across the UK and around the world there are other families and friends experiencing a similar sense of shock and disbelief that such a profound and currently untreatable condition has arrived in their lives out of nowhere.
‘But we live in hope.
‘Hope is what is keeping us going, to keep finding the positives in this very difficult place.’
In the UK and worldwide there is a growing push to find a cure for DIPG, which is almost exclusively a cancer affecting children.
Andrew added: ‘Now one of those children is our boy, Aubrey and he needs as much support as we can muster.
‘Aubrey’s wish is simple, he just wants to get back to how life was before, he wants to be well, he wants to be able to walk un-aided, he wants to kick a football around and go to the playground with his brothers and sisters.
‘We desperately want to make his wish a reality, but we can’t do this on our own.
‘Please help us to raise the funds we need to access clinical trials and pay for potential treatments that could make a difference and help turn the tide of finding an effective cure for Aubrey.’
:: Help support the treatment at gofundme.com/f/aubreys-wish
