To stay in isolation

Mum thanks neighbours and friends for their help

THE mum of a young ca nce r pat ie nt h as praised the efforts of friends and neighbours in helping them endure self-isolation for the past three months.

Lily Douglas is battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects bones, and has been shielding at home with her mum Jane for the last 12 weeks.

Although most people i n Scotland are now allowed to meet with people from other households if they are outside, the 12-year-old and her mum will need to continue to self-isolate in their Perth home for a little longer.

But Jane says her friends and neighbours have rallied around the family to make sure they are getting all the help they need.

She now wants to thank them for their support.

She said: “We don’t get phase one so we will still be shielding.

“Lily is in the same situation as a lot of cancer families who have to keep on shielding, it is tough.

“Officially we have been shielding for 10 weeks, but Lily and I actually started shielding two weeks before the l ockdown started because we didn’t want to take any chances.

“So, as of Monday, we will have been shielding for 12 weeks – we will apparently get a letter this month to update us on the situation.

“I don’t know what we are going to be able to do differently.

“I don’t even think Lily will get to school this year at all.”

Jane continued: “I live in a cul-de-sac and my neighbours have been delivering food to us and my friends have been taking the dog out for walks.

“Lily’s dancing teacher is coming round today to take the dog for a walk and my neighbour has been cutting the grass as well.

“Because of our friends and neighbours, Lily and I have not had to go out the door once.

“We are really blessed, we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Lily has also not been able to go on any drug trials.

Jane said they were hoping to find a kinder treatment for Lily, but will now need to wait until the trials re-open.

She continued: “Lily was supposed to be getting a drug trial after her 12th cycle of chemotherapy, however all the trials are closed now.

“Chemotherapy is keeping her stable, so we decided to keep going with that.

“She has been having chemotherapy for three years and that is a long time and it is tough on her little body.

“The doctor said it was like someone got a paint brush and splattered it over her lungs, so it is not like we can just take a bit of her lung away.

“We are hoping the trials open up again soon so we can hopefully find a kinder immunotherapy drug, but until we find out what is happening with the trials we just don’t know.

“It can all be a bit doom and gloom just now, but we are praying we get good scan results next week.”