Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Robyn Higgins is an eleven year old little girl, who in May of 2009 was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer. This cancer is rare and aggressive and usually (but not always) effects children under the age of 10.

So far Robyn has endured 9 doses of chemotherapy, injections requiring intravenous antibiotics, blood/platelet transfusions, stem cell harvests and bone marrow aspirates. At the beginning of september Robyn underwent a nine hour operation to remove a tumour in her pelvis which had wrapped itself around various nerves within her pelvis and spine, this has since caused her repetitive neuropathic pain in her right leg and she is currently unable to walk though hopefully this should improve in time with intense physiotherapy.

In October 2009, Robyn was admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital where she has received a high dose of chemotherapy to 'wipe out' her bone marrow. She then had previously harvested stem cells given back to her to assist her bone marrow in its recovery. That left her extremely ill and in hospital for another month.

Robyn has also endured a further 3 weeks of radiotherapy and then 140 days of oral medication. After all this her condition was reasssessed, Lisa and Greg have been told that if the cancer returns, it will not be treated in a curative way. The chances of relapse with this type of cancer are extremely high.

Her parents Lisa and Greg have found 2 hospitals in America. In New York there is a hospital called the Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Centre which, over the years, has pioneered a treatment using anti-body therapy which has been very successful. This treatment is not available in the UK, and is not likely to be anytime soon.

If Robyn does not receive this treatment, her current chance of survival stands at only 40%. The other hospital is The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia where Robyn may be able to recieve a slightly different type of antibody but nontheless this treatment is showing encouraging signs.

We had until Christmas 2009 to raise £300,000 to get Robyn to the USA and we did it through sheer blood sweat and tears.

Robyn and her family went to Philladelphia in January 2010 and stayed until May 2010.

I was sadened to learn from Greg in May 2011 that the cancer had come back, Robyn was making great progress in her recovery.

I have known Greg for a number of years and was not in position to help first time round but this time I am by taking part in London 10k run on Saturday July 13th 2013.

Please make a donation to help get Robyn back to America for more urgent treatment of this cancer.

Regards

Rob