NI boy suffering from rare brain tumour flown to Mexico to have new treatment

A 12-YEAR-OLD Northern Ireland boy has flown across the world with his family to receive what is hoped will be life-saving treatment for a rare inoperable brain tumour in Mexico.

Cameron Truesdale, from Waringstown in Co Down, was so ill during the long journey to Monterrey, where he arrived last Wednesday, that the airline had to arrange for an ambulance to meet him on landing.

Speaking from South America, his devoted dad Harold (31) said his son was doing well and had received his first round of chemotherapy treatment on Monday.

The entire family are in Mexico with Cameron, who will remain in the country for at least three months.

A pupil at Brownlow Integrated College in Craigavon, Cameron was diagnosed with a highly aggressive DIPG brain tumour in January, which doctors said was inoperable.

DIPG affects just 30 to 40 children a year in the UK and Cameron is currently the only child affected in Northern Ireland. Due to the location and type of tumour, few treatment options are available on the NHS.

The family learned of experimental clinical trials in Mexico and launched a fundraising campaign to raise the £300,000 needed to cover the costs of the 10-month course of treatment.

So far they have raised £65,000 and their local community is continuing to fundraise while little Cameron fights for his life. Dad Harold said: “Cameron received his first course of chemo on Monday with a follow up appointment on October 4 when they will plan out the rest of his treatment and alternative therapies going forward. Cameron has been amazing. Our flight from New York to Monterrey was terrible for him as he was vomiting and extremely tired from all our travelling. The airline was fantastic and had an ambulance waiting for him when we landed. He and I were taken straight to hospital where he received care of the highest degree and was then fit enough to leave the next day. He was very nervous on the day of his first treatment but we did find time for some laughs before he was put to sleep. He received an MRI and chemo. After a few hours of sleeping in the intensive care unit, he came to life, eating two massive bowls of cereal and was laughing and joking once again.”

While the family have put