Charity match to help brave young girl
FUNDRAISER TO GET MYA-ELA TO DISNEYLAND
A popular charity football match between Newcastle and Sunderland fans will raise money for a little girl battling a rare and aggressive cancer.
The annual football match has raised thousands of pounds to help youngsters in the North East who are battling cancer. This year it will help four-year-old Mya-Ela, from Stakeford, Northumberland, was diagnosed with stage three Burkitt Lymphoma after suffering from problems with her stomach.
It is hoped enough money will be raised to help Mya-Ela go to Disneyland when she has finished and recovered from her treatment, with money also donated to the children’s cancer unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The match has been organised by leukaemia survivor Chrissy Quigley, 39, with all money raised split between the cancer ward and a local child with leukaemia - with previous beneficiaries including Bradley Lowery.
He said: “She is such a brave amazing little girl. Mya-Ella would absolutely love to go to Disneyland when she has finished and recovered from her treatment.
“We would love for every one to help us in making her dream come true and help her get there.
“We seen Mya-Ela’s story in the Chronicle and I felt terrible for what they were going through as a family, so I contacted her family and they were happy for us to do it.”
Mya-Ela suffered from health issues, which included an extended belly and constipation, from being two weeks old.
Her mum Natalie, 29, feared there was something not right and took her to the doctors. But her symptoms were put down to viral infections.
When she was three years old, Natalie took Mya-Ela to A&E as her stomach was extremely hard and she was in a lot of pain. She was treated for constipation, before sending her home.
In March last year, Natalie then got a call from Mya-Ela’s nursery to say she had a fever, and again, had a very extended stomach. She rushed her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle where she was sent for a X-ray.
Doctors found a cancerous mass and told Natalie that it was attached to all her major organs. They informed her that Mya-Ela’s condition was called Burkitt Lymphoma - a rare but aggressive type of cancer.
Last year’s event raised thousands of pounds for Arthur Salters-Hoult, of Wallsend, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia earlier this year but blood tests revealed a chromosome mutation never seen before anywhere in the world.
Chrissy, from Leam Lane, said: “We did Arthur last year and they are quite close friends in the hospital. We would like to get a lot of people to sponsor and get the story out for the young lassie and family.
“It was a success last year and we made over £8,000. It is absolutely chocka every year.”
Hundreds of people are expected to watch the match at the Fiddlers Three Pub, High Heworth, Gateshead on July 6, with kick off at 2pm.