Families unite to fight cancer Funds shared with Fair City girl Leva
Westminster candidate Pete Wishart and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Yasmin Chan, Lily Douglas and Alisha Buchan Kindness shown to a Perth youngster who is being treated for cancer will now also benefit another Fair City girl.
The mother of Lily Douglas has agreed that any future fundraising in her sick daughter’s name will be shared with Leva Stewart, age two.
She has been with Lily, nine, on the cancer ward at Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children.
The North Muirton girl has just completed her first week of chemotherapy to zap a stage 4 bone cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma that has developed in her shins and has travelled to her lungs and shoulder.
In the three weeks since the diagnosis, a gofundme.com page set up by her dancing teacher has brought in more than £22,000 of donations to help Lily’s family.
But Leva, also from Perth, is being treated for Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer developing from connective tissues in the body.
The Douglas family has generously agreed that with the huge support already received from Lily’s army of supporters in dance schools and academies, any future fundraising should be in Leva’s name too.
Leva’s mum, Roxanne, and dad, Adam, are off work since hearing of their little girl’s diagnosis which will put financial strain on the family.
“When I found out about Leva, I thought sharing would be the right thing to do, absolutely.”
Speaking to the PA yesterday, Lily’s mum Jane explained that she would be excused from her post as a manager in the Perth Primark store for the next nine months.
She currently has a room in hospital with Lily. They were due to go home at the weekend after the first round of chemo but, like most children getting treatment, her “wee trooper” caught an infection on Saturday and had to stay in hospital while she recovered.
“Right now, things are bittersweet you might say,” she explained.
“Lily was at the St Johnstone game with Hearts last Wednesday, she went on to the field, she had the ‘SupportOurLily’ t-shirt on and hundreds of others had them on in the stands. Then at the weekend, she was made an ambassador for Simply Stella, a popular clothing range at So You Think You Can Dance – a huge competition at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh.
“She was hauled on stage, she loved it I think it took her mind off things, and all the little girls posed for pictures with her.”
Jane added: “Her consultant thinks she’s amazing, she said Lily is not like a normal child. She’s strong and her positive outlook will get her through.”
Lily’s treatment will involve four rounds of chemotherapy - one week on, two weeks off, and then most likely an operation to remove infected bone tissue and radiotherapy and possibly more chemo.
Jane hopes to get Lily a tutor in hospital as she will be off school at St John’s RC Primary while she battles the cancer.
Lily is her only daughter, although she also has a grown up son, Leon (23).
The bubbly nine year-old was one of the dancers in Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Christmas show Scrooge! and has widely been tipped to be ‘West End-bound’.
“Until just a few weeks ago Lily did three classes a night, back to back in the week, seven hours every Saturday and competitions on a Sunday.
“When I got the news, it was like a dark cloud, horrific all that weekend, but by the Monday I got strong and started to look up and look forward.”
All over the county people have jumped to help.
Ivory Whites, the wedding shop on George Street where Roxanne works, is running a raffle to win a veil.
A quiz fundraiser is being organised by Sue Varga at the Abbotsford Bar on June 11 at 2pm.
Now Leva Stewart is also getting treatment, Sue plans to organise one for her too in July.
Letham Amateurs football team will wear Lily’s name on their shirts in the North of Tay competition cup final on Friday this week and players plan to make a donation to the cause.
Paul Patrick of the city’s Mixed Martial Arts club will be sporting her colours in his competitions.
Creations Salon in Perth is having a fundraiser on Friday, put on by owner Aston Abbott. She will have a full team of five members of staff working and all donations for hair, make-up and nails will go to both girls.
And local man Craig Donald (43) is doing the West Highland Way for Leva and Lily in July.
Hundreds of t-shirts have been printed in Perth by local businesses Sprinters and Go Creative with the #SupportOurLily logo. They are available from Lily’s dance schools Inspire Dance Studio and JGN Dance Attic as well as Kids in the City children’s shop in Perth city centre.
Family friend Pete Chan said the run of Lily t-shirts is going to be followed up with a new ‘Team LevaLily’ logo, to emphasise that both children need everybody’s love and thoughts.
Leva has a gofund me page www. gofundme.com/show-your-love-forleva. Lily’s page is www.gofundme.com/ support-our-lily