Hi, Jessie here!

Its Childhood Cancer awareness month and i'm raising money to celebrate my life, cause i've had a really rare cancer ...can I tell you my story?

I've been in LOADS of pain in my arm and hand since the day before my 5th birthday in May.  The doctors couldn't work out what was wrong with me, i think people thought i was faking it, but i wasn't!  In fact it was hurting more and more.  On Friday 21st December 2012, daddy found a lump under my arm.  We went to Winchester hospital, where they carried out x-rays and scans. The doctors told mummy that I had a tumour that had been pressing on the nerves down my arm and causing all the pain-now they believe me!!!!  

On Christmas Eve we went to Piam Brown children's cancer unit in Southampton General Hospital.  This was the worse day of my entire life-not only did I have loads of different doctors prodding and poking me, I had to use my polite voice all the time and even have canulas put into my bad hand...and it really, really hurt.  Daddy then had to take me into a big tunnel that was SO noisy and lie very, very, VERY still for over an hour. I fell asleep it was so long!!  The big machine took loads of pictures of my armpit, and afterwards we were allowed to see them- the doctor said my lump was the size of a large orange and I'd lost feeling in the bottom half of my left hand.

AND I missed Christmas!!!  My pain was so bad, it was like electric shocks down my arm, that I had to stay in hospital and be put on a medicine called Morphine.  A few days later, after more doctors prodded and poked me, they took a biopsy of the naughty lump to see what it was.  I had to have a special sleep so they could cut a bit of the lump out. Mummy said I was ever so poorly but really brave.

On Tuesday 8th January 2013, mummy and daddy were told that I had a very bad cancer called a Rhabdoid Tumour. They cried a lot!  But they told me I'm special, because not many people in the world have this type of tumour- there's only two kids in the UK diagnosed with my tumour every year!  The trouble is, cause its so rare, they need to do loads of research to find out how to beat our cancer.  Our doctors thought they might find other tumours in my body, as its....(long word coming)...characteristic of my tumour to be in the brain and kidneys.

I had to have chemotherapy for a year as well as surgery, radiotherapy and physiotherapy. I had a wiggly..a long tube...put into my heart, which drinks in the medicine and sends it round my body to help fight off the naughty cancer.  Trouble is, it made me soooooo poorly and my hair came out!  It's fine though, I got to wear all these cool hats at school, and no one else was allowed to!!!  

Cancer is not so bad, Piam Brown, my ward, has the coolest playroom with barbies, an xbox for my brother Joshi and even iPads!  I even got to lie in my hospital bed all day watching TV and eating whatever i liked. The worse bit was when they change my plasters- it hurts!  I made the nurses use a special wipe and said," SLOWLY!"  You'd see me whizzing down the ward on my medicine trolley or keeping mummy up all night having to go to wee all the time (i'd have a great big bag of fluid wiggly had to drink!)

Its one year on now and the doctors declared that I am

                                  IN REMISSION!!!! YEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

After 5 years I will be declared cured. There is no wiggly, no medicine, no injections anymore! But Piam Brown cant get rid of me yet; I go back every three months to see my wonderful consultant and have an MRI, X Ray and ultra sound scan, just to make sure the cancer stays away!  I dont think the doctors had much hope i would get this far....but I'M HERE and as cheeky as ever.  I'm having physiotherapy to try and get my arm working again, but im back at school....mummy says doing really well too, pat on my back!...and loving life with my friends and family.

We pray to Jesus in our family, He helps me when I feel frightened or sick. I know that Jesus has been with me through the good and the bad times, His peace has carried us beyond understanding....my mum and dad thank the hundreds of people that have prayed for me over the past year.

We are always doing lots of fundraising events to raise money for families on the ward....having experienced cancer, you just have to help other people know there IS HOPE!  We've done the Tough Mudder, Great South Run, Race for Life, Charity Balls, Friends have cycled to Scotland and back to raise money for my Piam Brown ward.  AND as its Childhood Cancer Awareness month, its time again to raise our story and remind people that your money makes a difference to real people.

Thank you to all the people that have raised money for the ward so far....you have gone over and above our expectations: Team Jessie!, Bitterne Park Secondary School, Swanmore Primary School, the Davies family, Adi and co, Kings Church, Bishops Waltham and Droxford Junior to name but a few!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support, friendship and love. Lots and lots and lots of hugs and kisses from

Jessie x x x x x x

PS if you do help us and are UK taxpayers, can you tell your parents to PLEASE remember to tick the Gift Aid box, cause the tax man has to give charity an extra 25% on top of your donation-that's cool!!