Please help my son
A mother has launched an appeal to send her two-year-old boy to Switzerland for treatment for a rare form of cancer.
Mrs Claire Clough, of Nottingham Road, Bingham, needs to raise at least £15,000 to take Toby to a specialist clinic.
The appeal will be kicked-off on Sunday when Toby is the mascot at a football game between Nottingham Forest Legends and Bingham All-stars to mark the official opening of the Butt Field Pavilion.
Toby was diagnosed with alveola rhabdomyosarcoma in November after his mother noticed a small red mark under his right eye.
He has already had intensive chemotherapy and an operation to try to remove the tumour in the orbit of his eye.
His latest scan showed the operation had been successful but there are fears that minute cancerous particles, too small to be picked up by the scan, still remain.
Toby’s best hope is proton therapy, a form of radiotherapy, that is only available for children at a clinic in Villigen, 20 miles north of Zurich.
Mrs Clough said: “It would mean everything to me and my husband if Toby could have the chance of receiving this treatment.
“We just want a normal family life. We have really come to appreciate how important it is to be simply at home together.”
Mrs Clough said it was one of the lowest moments in her life when Toby was first diagnosed.
“It felt like our whole world caved in. You hear about these stories and always think it would happen to someone else,” she said.
“Doctors thought the bump under his eye was just a blocked tear duct, but when it was still there after several doses of antibiotics, I knew something was not right.”
The treatment is expected to cost around £60,000 and Mrs Clough and her husband, Mr Kyle Clough, have applied to the NHS for help towards it.
However, they would still have to raise money to cover the cost of flights, accommodation, food, and child care for their other son, Sam (4).
If enough money is raised, it is hoped Toby could start the treatment around August or September. It is expected to take up to ten weeks.
Toby is no longer having intensive chemotherapy but still has to take a daily dose of medication and attend the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, once a week.
His illness has meant Toby has lost all his hair, suffers from tiredness and sickness and a weakened immune system, but he still manages to attend Bingham Day Nursery some mornings.
Mrs Clough said if Toby had the standard radiotherapy given to adults, it would severely disfigure his face and head, and would carry a risk of inducing a second cancer and inhibiting growth.
Proton therapy focuses on the affected area and does not carry as many risks of long-term damage.
The treatment is available at 25 clinics in the world, including one in the UK but that only treats adults.
Donations can be made at www.hopeforto by.org.uk
Cheques made out to Hope For Toby can also be given to Mr and Mrs Clough or left at Bingham Day Nursery.
