Despite only being five years old, Holly Prince is battling cancer for the third time.
Suffering from a rare illness, Holly was first diagnosed with Bloom Syndrome at three years old, after her parents, Mark and Jenny, noticed she was growing slowly.
Just one of 300 people who suffer from the rare disorder worldwide, the Manchester Evening News reports that people with the condition can be of unusually small size, have sensitivity to sunlight, immune system deficiencies and an extraordinarily high risk of developing cancer.
The average life expectancy of someone with Bloom Syndrome is 27, and currently there is no cure for it.
After receiving the diagnosis in March 2020, Holly developed a rare kidney cancer and had to undergo seven rounds of chemotherapy.
Holly had her kidney removed and was declared cancer-free in summer 2021. However, her parents’ worst fears were realised when the tumour returned weeks later.
The youngster then had to be placed on a radiotherapy programme which saw her have treatment every day for 15 days.
Further scans then showed two more tumours in her body.
Her dad, Mark Prince, told the Manchester Evening News: “When health visitors came, she was always under the average line.
“She wasn't growing as fast as she should. She was small.
“Then she was referred to doctors in Manchester.
“You see the adverts on telly of children with cancer and you never think it will happen to you – and bang, we’re in the middle of it.
“You’ve just got to get on with it.
“We’re both positive people. We’ve got a good support network of family and friends.”
Holly is currently undergoing a different type of chemotherapy. She endured five rounds of the gruelling treatment over the festive period, including Christmas Day.
Mark, 37, continued: “It’s been horrific with the hospital visits and overnight stays.
“She’s such a happy child and she’s missed out on so much; we’re trying to get her into school as much as we can.
“It would be easy to get in a rut and crumble and I understand that.
“But we have two other kids and we have to keep their lives going as normal as possible.
“We’ve got to keep going and pray for the best.”
Family friend Chris Paxford is set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next month to help raise funds for the Prince family.
The money will be used to help Holly with her battle against cancer and also go towards a family trip to Chicago in August 2022. The trip will allow them to meet other 'Bloomies' from all over the world at a two-yearly conference for people who suffer from the condition.
The funds will also be used to support the Bloom Syndrome Association and other childhood cancer charities.
To donate, follow the link by clicking here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kilimanjaro-climb.
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