Treatment hope for little Charlie
Family overwhelmed by donations for trip to US hospital
THE family of a toddler battling cancer say there is finally hope after they raised £70,000 to get him to America for treatment.
Three-year-old Charlie Procter, from Lion Street in Church, has just undergone his 21st round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with rare condition Hepatoblastoma in his stomach last year.
But his mum Amber Schofield, 22, says that thanks to ‘incredibly generous’ donations they have raised enough money to get him specialist treatment in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and they hope to travel within a few weeks.
But they estimate they will need double that amount to afford the total cost of the treatment, as well as accommodation and flights.
She said: “We have raised about £70,000 in about five weeks and that’s about half of what we need. We’re so grateful.
“The doctor we’ve spoken to in America says that Charlie has a huge chance and he’s feeling positive that there is nothing to worry about. He wants us to aggressively attack it now so we’ll be over there for a month and come back cancer- free, and that will be the end of treatment.
“The amount that has been raised is overwhelming. It’s so incredibly touching when people who don’t know Charlie want to donate money to help him live.”
Although the stage-four cancer in his stomach and lungs remains stable, Charlie’s chances of survival were rated at ‘below 20 per cent’ and there will come a point when he will resist further chemotherapy. Amber said she hopes the American treatment, which could involve surgery Charlie was denied in the UK, will give Charlie, dad Ben Procter and nine-month-old sister Jessica a chance to be a ‘proper family’.
She said: “When I found out I was having a baby girl we thought we would have the perfect family, but then we were told Charlie had cancer. We haven’t had time to enjoy being a family together. At the beginning it was hopeful, it just never sunk in until the treatment stopped working and that’s when it hit us that he could die.
“When he’s full of energy and running about you don’t see a child with cancer, it’s only when the chemo has its effects he becomes so poorly that you realise.”
A fundraising day in Morecambe organised by Ben’s cousin Amy Gibson in February raised more than £17,000 for Charlie’s treatment. Search ‘ Charlies Chapter’ on Facebook to donate to the cause.