Help raise £200,000 to fund treatment for Ethan

In August 2022, our eldest son Ethan, aged 14, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a very aggressive type of advanced cancer usually only found in adults.

When anyone is diagnosed with cancer it is heart-breaking for all those around but when it is your child there are no words to describe the pain and helplessness when given the diagnosis.

Our world has been torn apart, with complete disbelief that this was happening to what was an ultra-fit, healthy and strong teenager who was a talented athlete, footballer, and all-round fun-loving sportsman. Ethan played football for Cwrt Rawlin Football Club, Risca Academy and for his school St Martins Comprehensive, Caerphilly. Ethan is a huge Wales football fan and prior to his illness attended every home game over the last 9 years. He ran long-distance and cross country for Cardiff Archers, Cardiff Athletics Club and South Wales, competing nationally. Even as recently as May 2022, Ethan won the Caerphilly 2k run and in June finished 4th in the Welsh 800m Championships. All of this has now been cruelly taken from him due to this terrible disease.

He is currently having chemotherapy which, as you can imagine, no child should have to endure. The side effects he has through the toxicity of this form of treatment is heart-breaking to see your child have to go through.

Unfortunately, for Ethan this treatment is not a cure.

Initially the chemotherapy treatment was combined with an immunotherapy treatment but in the weeks following he suffered a major side effect of aseptic meningitis and were it not for the swift action of the medical staff it could’ve proven fatal. Throughout this Ethan has showed a bravery way beyond anything we have ever seen whilst going through painful procedures such as lumbar punctures, laparoscopy and other biopsies. The immunotherapy treatment has since been stopped and re-commencing poses a significant risk of another potentially fatal side effect.

Since the time of diagnosis, every spare moment of our time has been spent researching and researching for any treatments available for him across the world. As a result, and with the help of other people with cancer in a similar situation, we have found two potential clinics. One in Germany, and the other in Japan, which will be able to offer treatment, but it comes at a very high cost. The treatment offered is a personalized cancer vaccine for Ethan specifically. The treatment relies on Ethan's immune system to fight the cancer cells without affecting his healthy cells.

The clinical evidence of this treatment shows positive and successful results in those who have received it.

The costs of preparing and administering this vaccine which will involve an initial number of weeks stay in the country followed by further periodic ongoing treatment can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Please, please help us by donating as much as you can to give Ethan his future back and be able to fulfil all his hopes and dreams in the future as any child should do so.

We believe that Ethan has the fight and determination to give this everything he has but the cost of treatment is something we cannot do on our own.

We need to keep Ethan alive and well to enjoy time in this world with his two younger brothers whose lives have also been turned upside down with this diagnosis.

We will be forever grateful to all those who are able to help us in this devastating journey which no family should ever have to experience.

Barri & Debbie