The family of a Scots tot battling cancer have made an urgent plea as they race to secure funds for a tial drug.
Stephanie Kent, 30, and Jamie Gentleman, 30, were horrified to discover their daughter Flora had swollen lymph nodes at the back of her head in late March 2021.
Little Flora, from Aberlady, also developed mysterious bruising around her eyes.
But it wasn't until Flora was rushed to Edinburgh Sick Kids' A&E at the end of March that doctors confirmed her devastating diagnosis.
Flora's parents were told the tot had stage-four neuroblastoma - an aggressive childhood cancer.
After months of "intense" treatment, including a seven-hour operation to remove her tumour, the family was relieved when an MRI scan shortly before Christmas came back showing there was no 'active cancer'.
But the family is in a race against time to secure funding for a drug trial in New York.
On the treatment she has received to date and its impacts, the fundraiser states: “Flora has already undergone eight rounds of chemotherapy, a seven-hour surgery to remove her tumour, five weeks of high dose chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in isolation, and radiotherapy. This is along with the countless scans and tests, general anaesthetics, and blood transfusions that go hand in hand with receiving cancer treatment.
“The side effects of treatment are tough but Flora’s cheeky personality still shines through despite the pain and discomfort she endures. Even on the darkest and hardest of days, Flora lights up the room with her infectious smile.
"Flora is the cheekiest three-year-old on the ward and enjoys running around the corridors making lots of noise! She is the Mayor of mischief and keeps everyone on their toes!
"She brings so much happiness and love to our family and we are so blessed to have this special girl in our lives.
“She has now just started six months of immunotherapy, and will soon come to the end of her frontline treatment on the NHS. Despite involving the most intense treatment regime of all cancers, neuroblastoma returns in 40-50 per cent of all children diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma.”
Jamie and Stephanie add that: “We will not reach this target without help, so please help us to get Flora to New York.”
Stephanie previously told the Daily Record: "If everything goes to plan with Flora's NHS treatment and we can get her into remission by the end of the next six months, there's a five-year vaccine trial in New York and it aims to keep the cancer away.
"The problem with neuroblastoma is it has a really high relapse rate and, if you get it again, your treatment options are limited."
The family has raised but £115,033 so far but will need £312,000 by August 2022 to secure the treatment.
They are now appealing for donations to reach their target.
There are many ways that individuals can help Flora through, reports Edinburgh Live.
You can donate here.
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