Cured by kindness, girl who needed £430,000 cancer op in New York
Kira, 14, has successful surgery after fundraising drive
SHE has spent three years fighting an aggressive and rare form of cancer.
Now a Scottish teenager has finally had the tumour removed – after generous donors chipped in to help fund pioneering surgery in the United States.
Kira Noble, 14, has endured years of invasive treatments – including abdominal surgery and radiotherapy – after she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer which attacks the nerve cells.
But surgeons in Scotland were unable to fully remove the tumour so Kira’s family and friends began an urgent fundraising appeal to send her to New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which specialises in the complex but costly treatment she needed. The plea was launched only last month but has since raised more than £430,000.
Yesterday, Kira’s mother Aud Noble, of Edinburgh, shared the ‘fantastic news’ that her daughter’s seven-hour operation had been a success.
Her post on the ‘Kira the Machine’ Facebook page – which has been liked more than 3,900 times – includes photographs of the smiling teenager outside the New York hospital.
Mrs Noble wrote: ‘Surgery commenced at noon New York time. A post-op meeting took place at 18.45 and confirmed all her tumour was taken out successfully.
‘A follow-up scan will take place to clarify this news and more treatment will be put in place to deal with any remaining microscopic cells.’
She added: ‘[I’m] so, so happy and proud to share with you amazing people this fantastic news that you all made possible with your fundraising efforts to help us make it here to NYC.’
Kira was 11 and had been suffering from abdominal pain when doctors diagnosed neuroblastoma. She underwent 15 months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy before going into remission in October 2015.
The cancer returned in early 2016. After further treatment she went into remission again, but a routine scan last year showed the tumour was growing again.
Kira had more chemotherapy and then surgery in January but all of the ‘glue-like’ mass from her right adrenal gland could not be removed. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – the biggest neuroblastoma unit in the world – was her best hope.
Mrs Noble, 51, said: ‘Kira the Machine always aims high, thinks big and reaches for her dreams. She will be delighted to learn that surgery was a success after travelling all the way to NYC in the middle of her third journey with neuroblastoma.
‘Thank you to our home oncologist for supporting us and to all our Edinburgh medical team.
‘Can’t wait to see Kira – her surgeon has given her the incredible news and he tells me that she smiled. Such a great day.’
Hundreds of supporters shared their joy in responses to the post.
Lynsey Stewart-Hodgson wrote: ‘Great news. Glad to hear everything was a success. Sending my love and hugs to the family.’
Jacqui Thomson said she was ‘in tears, very happy tears’, while Jacqui Bruce posted: ‘Superheroine status has commenced.’
‘Fantastic news you all made possible’