Hope for Zoe

A campaign to raise funds for Neuroblastoma maintenance therapy only available in the USA - to help Zoe beat this childhood cancer that has such a devastating relapse rate, and give her as much hope as possible for a cancer-free future.

How Zoe’s story began..

In July 2023 Zoe was a happy 10 month old baby who just wanted to smile, wave and play with anyone she met. But that all changed very drastically when Zoe became unwell and was deteriorating at an alarming rate. After 24 hours of tests filled with agonising dread in Temple St. Hospital, Zoe was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk Neuroblastoma, an extremely aggressive childhood cancer.

Scans showed that a tumour attached to her kidney, and taking up 50% of her abdomen, had spread throughout her tiny body and fully into her bone marrow. The severity of her prognosis meant that Zoe had to start an intense 18 month treatment plan immediately. She was transferred to Crumlin hospital that night and began chemotherapy the following day.

It's with the heaviest of hearts that we can even recollect that day and put it into words.

Zoe’s battle so far..

A combination of her widespread disease and the impact of the initial chemo left Zoe lifeless in her hospital cot for weeks. She also spent some very difficult time in ICU in those early days. But as the chemo started to do it's life saving job, we slowly started to see small signs of our Zoe coming back to us again. A little smile here and there, and pointing at things that held her interest again - green lights on the hospital room ceiling!

Since then, Zoe has battled through intricate abdominal surgery to remove as much of the main tumour as possible; additional high dose chemo and a stem cell transplant requiring 6 weeks of

isolation in a dedicated transplant unit; 14 sessions of radiotherapy, each one carried out under general anaesthetic; and countless blood transfusions, injections and medical procedures.

Zoe is currently undergoing the immunotherapy phase of her treatment - 5 cycles over 6 months - with the first 2 cycles requiring a morphine pump to manage her pain.

Her will to battle through this journey makes us so proud every day.

Zoe today..

Thankfully Zoe has responded well to her gruelling but lifesaving treatment so far. Her superhuman strength and determination have brought her a long way since her time in ICU last August. That,

combined with the incredible care and treatment administered by the team at St. John's Ward in Crumlin CHI, who we are forever indebted to.

Zoe is currently doing her best to stand up and take a few steps, say a few words, and even ‘sing’ along to her favourite movie, Frozen! She is getting used to her hearing aids, which were necessary after the hearing loss caused by chemo, and communicating better every day. Her feeding tube is still in place and still required for her nutrition and daily medication.

She is full of personality and fun, and extremely determined!

What’s next for Zoe..

Immunotherapy will hopefully be the final stage of Zoe's frontline treatment. We hope and pray with every shred of positivity that we can muster that she will be “No evidence of disease” in her post

treatment PET scan later this year.

The next stage is to do everything we possibly can to prevent Zoe’s cancer coming back after her treatment ends in Crumlin. Devastatingly, high-risk Neuroblastoma has a very high relapse rate, and limited treatment options if relapse occurs. This makes the longer term survival statistics unthinkable.

There are Neuroblastoma maintenance therapies that aim to prevent the disease returning, but only available as clinical trials in the USA. The cost of these trials is hugely expensive and that's why we need your help.

We’ve set up this fundraising campaign, along with family and friends, called “Hope for Zoe” to try and raise as much money as possible to access these clinical trials. All funds will go towards the

treatment Zoe needs to beat cancer for good.

Thank you..

Thank you for your continued hope and support for Zoe. We can’t tell you how much of a difference it makes in the most challenging thing any family could face.

Please help us give our baby girl the best chance of a healthy and happy future.

David, Emma, Tom and our warrior, Zoe X

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