Please help us get Ava her treatment...

Our beautiful, strong amazing daughter was diagnosed with a glioblastoma tumour in February of this year... Ava was just 17months old.

Ava went through an 8 hour operation where surgeons tried to remove the tumour. They were able to remove 90% of the tumour, but could not remove all of it, because the remaining 10% is in to the brain stem.

The next step was for Ava to go through radiotherapy, but due to the impact of the operation, Ava was subsequently diagnosed with Hydrocephalus. This is a build up of fluid on the brain, so Ava had to have an EVD fitted to drain the fluid until she was stable enough to have another operation in which they fitted a shunt. This was another 8 our operation, yet she still came out of it with a smile. She is just amazing!

The nurses at Alder Hey were fantastic with Ava and the doctors were starting to put the plan together for Ava's radiotherapy treatment. We were allowed to take Ava home, but within a couple of days she became really poorly and was rushed back to Alder Hey. It turned out that the shunt had blocked. This meant another operation to remove it and Ava had to go back on the EVD. She was so brave and was still smiling.

A couple of weeks later, once well enough, Ava went through yet another long operation to put the shunt in the other side of her head. Ava was still smiling!

A few weeks on we were finally back at home ready for Ava to start 6 weeks of radiotherapy. Unfortunately, just 4 sessions into the treatment, Ava went really poorly again and couldn't wake up. She was rushed straight to Alder Hey from Clatterbridge. It was another blockage in her shunt, so the surgeon manually drained it and gradually Ava regained consciousness. Then, it turned out Ava had an infection and radiotherapy had to be delayed again until Ava had completed a 2 week course of antibiotics. The doctors and nurses were brilliant with Ava and it wasn't long until she was telling them off...and still smiling!

Finally Ava was well enough to complete the course of radiotherapy. She did so well. Even when she was being sick, she would manage a smile.

She has come so far and done so well - she has done the opposite to what all the doctors had warned could happen. She has the strength in her neck to hold herself up. She is trying to crawl. She is moving her right side - the doctors had said that all of these things would be unlikely. She is so strong and determined. She amazes us all the time.

The radiotherapy reduced the tumour a little bit, but we are trying to get the funds together to put Ava forward for a very new experimental immunotherapy treatment, which can only be done privately, something that we simply cannot afford.

We would do anything to help Ava and we really hope that you can help us. We are truly grateful for any help you can give our beautiful daughter.