Thank you for taking the time to visit Team Alexa’s JustGiving page.

Alexa was diagnosed with T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, an aggressive type of blood cancer, and a mediastinal mass on 29th February 2016 at 4 and a half years old. Alexa required lifesaving treatment to reduce the mass on her chest before she began 2.5 years of chemotherapy to treat the Leukaemia.

The first four phases of Alexa’s treatment involved intensive chemotherapy and taking steroids. Alexa received her chemotherapy through various methods. One way was intravenously through a central line (a permanent hollow tube which was inserted into a large vein in her chest) and this was also how her blood was taken. It was also administered by injections into her legs, orally and injections into her spine via a lumbar puncture (whilst under general anesthetic). These 9 months were incredibly hard for her little body as she received 8 different chemotherapy drugs over various treatment plans and had 11 lumbar punctures.

Alexa then began the final stage of treatment which lasted a further 1 year and 8 months. During this time, she had to take a chemotherapy drug daily, take a second chemotherapy drug once a week, take steroids for five days every four weeks and receive intravenous chemotherapy through her central line once a month. She also had to have further lumbar punctures every twelve weeks, again under general anesthetic.

During her treatment the chemotherapy weakened Alexa’s immune system, and she was often neutropenic, making it harder for her body to fight infection, so as a family extra precaution needed to be taken. She lost her hair twice, was admitted to hospital various times for infections and fevers, required blood and platelet transfusions (via her central line), underwent various scans, took anti-sickness medicine to help with the side effects of the chemotherapy and took antibiotics every weekend to prevent developing pneumonia.

Whilst on treatment Alexa’s childhood was very different to her peers. Alexa’s central line restricted the activities she could do and meant she couldn’t go swimming or have a shower during the whole time she was on treatment. The numerous hospital trips, side effects of the chemo and being neutropenic meant she couldn’t always attend school and other activities like her friends could. Alexa rarely complained about treatment but would often say “Mummy, I just want to be like my friends and have fun”. Starlight, the charity we have chosen to support enables seriously ill children do just that, whether it be in hospital with a boost/distraction box, a gaming bundle, watching the starlight pantomime which visits children’s wards across the country or through one of their organised events/experiences and/or through a starlight wish. As a family we were very fortunate to be granted a Starlight wish, 3 days in Lapland, along with other families with seriously ill children and their siblings. It was a magical trip where the children didn’t feel different to their peers. On the trip we went in search of Santa and met him, went on a reindeer and husky ride, rode Skidoo’s, went sledging and just had fun in the snow. We also got to attend various Starlight parties and events where we were able to fly in helicopters and 2-4 seater aeroplanes, ride on the back of Harley Davidsons, go behind the scenes and meet the team of a well-known TV children’s programme and much much more.

Now approaching her 12th birthday in August, Alexa is nearly 5 years off treatment and enjoying life.

Team Alexa (Sally & Roger Emms, Alexa’s mum and stepdad, along with Alexa’s aunties and uncles, Vikki & Marcus O’Sullivan and Judith & Matt Long) are trekking through the Atlas Mountains to summit the highest peak in North Africa – Mount Toubkal, Morocco to raise money for Starlight, to thank them for all they did for Alexa and her family during a very difficult time.

Mount Toubkal stands at 4,167 metres above sea level. When we complete the trek in August, temperatures on the lower sections will be around 40 degrees celsius, reducing as we get higher, and oxygen levels at the summit are around 60%.

Anything you can give to help this charity would be greatly appreciated by Team Alexa. Team Alexa is funding this trip themselves, therefore 100% of donations will be received by Starlight.

Thank you

Sally, Roger, Vikki, Marcus, Judith and Matt (aka Team Alexa)

xxx