A Norwich mum is making a heartbreaking plea for help to get her four-year-old daughter stateside for experimental and potentially life-saving cancer trials.
Kayla Buttle of Silver Road was diagnosed with stage four high-risk neuroblastoma on May 17, 2021.
%image(15605779, type="article-full", alt="Kayla Buttle was diagnosed with neuroblastoma when she was just three years old")
A staggering £20,000 has been raised so far to fund her place in a medicine trial in New York City and other expenses - such as flights and accommodation - but that is but a small dent in the £221,000 needed.
The money needs to be raised by November to enrol her on the bivalent vaccine clinical trial that aims to stop her neuroblastoma from returning.
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Kayla is a very good candidate for the trial but must show no signs of disease by October to be eligible.
Her mum Stacey Buttle said: "We have to fight as hard as we can. We just need the support of everybody else, we can't do it on our own.
%image(15605780, type="article-full", alt="The Buttle family has been continually fundraising for Kayla's cancer treatment")
"If I had a house to sell, I would. If it meant my child would be clear and would have no evidence of disease for the rest of her life and surviving, I would do it in a heart beat.
"A house is made of bricks and mortar. That doesn't make it a home.
"It's an eye-watering amount of money. But Kayla is worth so much more. She's worth 1,000 houses."
As it stands Kayla has a 50pc chance of relapse.
If the worst happens, she will then have just a 10pc chance of long-term survival.
"There's always a possibility of relapse. It's a scary prospect," Stacey added.
%image(15605783, type="article-full", alt="Kayla Buttle (centre) with brothers Riley, 10, (left) and Cory, 7 (right)")
"But Kayla is amazing and people's support means the world to our family.
"Watching Kayla's journey has made it hit home for a lot of people.
"The trial should be pretty easy going compared to what she's already been through.
"Chemo is the hardest of the hard. Everything after that is a breeze in comparison," the mum of three said.
%image(15605784, type="article-full", alt="Stacey Buttle said her four-year-old daughter Kayla is "always smiling"")
"Kayla is amazing as usual, though. Always smiling and laughing.
"Cancer has taken over a massive portion of Kayla's life. And the year before that we were in lockdown.
"Every pound makes a difference. People sharing, people talking, gives her a chance to survive," she said.
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