A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to raise £220,000 to send a brave young girl to the US for vital treatment for a rare form of childhood cancer.
Two-year-old Siobhan Mathers lives in Barnet, north London with her parents Ant and Sarah Mather, who hail from Glencar in Co. Kerry, and her older siblings Liam and Ciara.
She is described by her family as a ‘beautiful angel’ who brings "fun and feistiness, with her independent character, to everyone around her”.
However, in July 2017, just two months after she turned two, Siobhan became lethargic and was taken to her GP.
From there she was sent to Barnet General Hospital, where it was discovered that she had a tumour.
She was quickly transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) where she and her family received the devastating news that she had Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer which only 100 children are diagnosed with each year.
Siobhan Mathers has undergone various treatments since her diagnosisEver since that day she has been undergoing treatment at GOSH in an attempt to fight off the disease.
Now her only option for a full recovery lies in an expensive vaccine only available in the US.
In a Just Giving page set up to help fund the treatment, her family explain: “Siobhan is the bravest two-year-old girl and is taking everything that this terrible disease can throw at her in her stride.
“She has undergone various treatments in the UK and to further her chances of a full recovery she needs a vaccine which is only available in America, but she still has a long way to go.”
They add: “High-risk neuroblastoma has a high chance of relapse and relapsed Neuroblastoma has low survival rates and is the most dangerous form of the disease.”
Regarding their need to travel to the US for treatment, the Mather family explains: “There is no standard relapse protocol for relapsed Neuroblastoma, which means clinical trials are often the only hope for many children.
“Such clinical trials are rarely available via the NHS, so where families wish to access this treatment, their only option is abroad, in the hope of helping them beat cancer.
“In the US, there have been a number of trials with high success rates. But the cost for the course of treatment, as well as the associated costs of travelling abroad to access it, are estimated in the region of £220,000.”
The fundraising campaign set up in brave Siobhan’s name has already attracted over £71,000, but still has a way to go to meet its target.
An event being held at the Claddagh Ring pub in Hendon this month will see the Irish community come together to help raise further funds for the cause.
Stephanie Quinn, who is a teacher at Sacred heart Primary School in Whetstone, north London, where Siobhan’s older brother Liam and sister Ciara go to school, has organised the Teachers Get Strict(ly) dancing event with the help of fellow teachers Amy Desbois and Veronica Harrington.
“I knew Liam and Ciara’s sister was not well, and had seen lots of photos of her on Facebook,” she told The Irish Post.
“I was also aware of the fundraising that her family and friends were undertaking, but I first had the privilege of meeting Siobhan in person just before Christmas and I just couldn't get her out of my mind after that.
“I felt I had to do something to help. Having small children myself, I would hope everyone would rally together for me. So myself and two other teachers, Amy Desbois and Veronica Harrington, also mums with young children, organised this event.”
The fundraiser kicks off at the Claddagh Ring from 7.30pm on Thursday, February 15.
The eight dancing couples taking part in the competition have been sponsored by a number of London Irish businesses, including Murphy’s, Danny Sullivan Group, O’Hara Brothers, Brian Doogue Haulage, Upper London Lofts, Redmond Group, MACE and AIB.
The event will also feature a raffle and an auction, with bids being taken before the night for those who wish to make an offer for auction items.
For information about auction items or to make a bid email [email protected] or call 07940370688.
You can also donate to Siobhan's Just Giving page here.
