Amelie battling rare form of eye cancer
Parents back appeal to fund new treatments
The family of a Doune youngster battling a rare eye cancer this week backed an appeal which aims to find new treatments for children with the illness.
Five-year-old Amelie Trotter was in October, 2014, diagnosed with a tumour in her eye socket.
While parents Iona and Walter know that they could one day have to give doctors permission to remove their daughter’s eye – they hope that science will come up with a cure.
The Schiehallion Appeal, which is named after the cancer wards at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children, is aiming to raise £500,000 to help find new ways of treating children with cancer.
The money would be used to expand the Schiehallion clinical trials centre, the only one of its kind in Scotland.
Amelie’s great aunt Jean Cuthbert has already started to raise cash for the charity, donating a bumper sum of almost £500 to the appeal thanks to support from the people of Braehead.
Iona, who works for Arnold Clark, said: “The doctors and nurses at Schiehallion are amazing. We couldn’t ask for better. Their care and patience is outstanding.
“A clinical trials centre in Glasgow would be fantastic, great to be part of.”
The family first became aware there was a problem almost three years ago when Amelie, who has two older brothers – Lewis (12) and Liam (11) – had swelling to her eye.
A series of scans and biopsies revealed that she had an aggressive tumour in her eye socket. After starting treatment in December, 2014, her tumour began to shrink – and six months later she was fit and well enough to come off treatment.
However, by November 2015, Amelie’s eye started to swell again and tests revealed that the tumour had returned. She was put on the previous treatment but the family were devastated to learn that she had developed an immunity to it and it no longer worked.
She was then offered a new type of chemotherapy, which is said to have a 50 per cent chance of working. This has reduced the tumour but there is no end date for stopping this chemotherapy and no new treatments to try.
Iona added: “Hospital has become such a big part of Amelie’s life. When she started school she asked the other boys and girls ‘where are your tubes’ and ‘what hospital do you go to’?
“Amelie’s brothers are old enough to understand what is happening and they are fantastic with their little sister, but it’s been a big challenge to maintain a normal family life.
“Amelie could be on this treatment for the rest of her life. We have no guarantee her current drug will continue to work.
“A new drug and trials centre would be a huge advantage to us – and so many other children in Scotland. Our children deserve the right medicine.”
Kirsten Sinclair, director of fundraising at Glasgow Children’s Hospital charity said: “Amelie is an inspiring little girl and we are honoured to have her family backing our Schiehallion Appeal.
“The support we have received from communities in and around Stirling for the Schiehallion Appeal has been absolutely incredible so far. We would like to share a heartfelt thanks with everyone who has given so generously and committed to fundraising to help us care for brave young patients like Amelie.
“We hope that we can count on the continued support of individuals and businesses throughout Stirlingshire to help children at Scotland’s largest children’s hospital beat cancer.”
A 10K sponsored walk in aid of the Schiehallion Appeal will take place at Elder Park in Glasgow on September 2. To sign up call 0141 212 8750, email info@ glasgowchildrenshospitalcharity. org or visit their website.
To help the appeal text CHILD to 70707 to donate £5, visit www.GlasgowChildrens HospitalCharity.org/donate or call 0141 212 8750.