Chiswick Mum Fights Back After Teenage Daughter's Cancer Diagnosis
Aims to raise awareness and funds to tackle EHE a rare form of the disease
Isabelle before and after the disease struck
Eleven months ago the world of Claire-Anne Escoffey and her family was blown apart when their teenage daughter Isabelle was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Seventeen-year-old Isabelle had experienced two years of neck pain before doctors identified the cause as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE for short). Instead of enjoying friendships, worrying about end of school exams and planning her future life after school, she was thrust into a world of hospitals, IV drips, pain and fear.
Claire-Anne says, “In March 2017 she underwent major surgery to her neck and spine. From May-July she received radiation and proton treatment which removed the cancer but left her virtually unable to swallow. In August she started having agonising chest pain, only to then be told the cancer was now in her left lung. As a result in September she started receiving aggressive chemo, which has led her to spend weeks in hospital due to the side effects and numerous complications. In short, to quote Isabelle, ‘life sucks’.”
EHE is a rare vascular tumour that arises from the lining of blood vessels. It can appear almost anywhere in the body, but common sites include the liver, lungs, and bones. The cause of EHE is presently unknown, and no proven treatments exist. EHE tumours can behave differently from one patient to the next, with some being stable for years while others progress quickly. The cancer often metastases throughout the body and possesses the ability to transform into an extremely aggressive state with little or no warning making it an unpredictable disease.
The EHE Rare Cancer Charity is fighting back by funding research into finding a cure and provides invaluable support and information to patients and families like us, whose lives are affected by this devastating disease. Sadly however, very rare cancer research gets no funding from governments, none from the pharmaceutical companies, and almost zero even from the big cancer charities. The only way to get funding from companies and foundations is on a matched basis by raising money independently first and that is exactly what Claire-anne along with a small team of dedicated supporters has done.
‘Isabelle’s page’ has already raised over £40,000 through Just Giving in just 5 days but the more they can raise the quicker they can set about finding a cure for this devastating disease. They have three donors in the UK who have said they will match the funds raised by Monday 4 December up to £30,000.
Claire-Anne adds, “The key thing is that we can only get there if we get support from many people, no matter how small, the EHE charity needs every single pound we can get, so please help if you can.”
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity.
December 2, 2017