CATCHING UP WITH KASEY
Posted in Features,Latest NewsFebruary 15, 2013Comments Off
Last March, Bohemians and St Pat’s fans contributed over €1200 to a bucket collection for the Kasey Kelly Trust Fund and plans are afoot to have a similar collection this season.
In November 2011, aged just 11 months, Kasey was diagnosed as having an aggressive malignant brain tumour. Her chances of survival were rated as low as one in 10. Fast-forward 15 months, and courageous Kasey is continuing to defy those odds.
A second opinion with experts at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said Kasey had a 50 per cent chance of survival. But conservative estimates put the cost for little Kasey’s treatment in America at close to €500,000.
The fundraising campaign, however, has so far brought in excess of €250,000, which was enough to allow Kasey’s parents to accompany her to Boston in March 2012 to begin treatment.
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And in an article in last weekend’s Sunday Independent, Kasey was described as having had “a revolutionary proton beam treatment, plus chemo, radiotherapy and a cocktail of drugs, which has brought about a dramatic difference in her MRI scans.”
Mum Michelle told the Sunday Independent: ”Her scan in September showed that the tumours had grown in size and the cancer cells were in her spine. But the one in November showed that her spine was clear and the tumours had shrunk dramatically in size, which was just amazing.
“The doctors were delighted, and even though none of us knows what’s down the line for her, Kasey is so strong and she really is such a little fighter. It’s hard being away from everyone, and it’smgreat when our friends and family visit.
“My mam and brothers came over for Christmas and my grandparents will be over again in March, and that makes a huge difference.”
Kasey fight continues. It is intended that she will begin a stem-cell transplant, using cells harvested from her several months ago. During this period, she will be in isolation for six weeks and will be subject to high doses of chemotherapy.
Michelle added: “I’m dreading it as Kasey will be very sick during this process, but it’s vital.
“She is coming along great now. She has her hair back — it sticks out everywhere so she looks like Liam Gallagher — and she stands and is trying to walk, although her balance isn’t great.
“She is beginning to eat a bit, which is brilliant as they said that her swallow was paralysed back home, but they’ve discovered here that it was just lazy rather than paralysed. She is still fed through a line in her stomach, and I”m trying to build her up as she will lose weight during the transplant.”
To learn more of Kasey’s brave battle, tune into TV3′s Ireland AM this morning (programme starts at 7am) or catch up afterwards on the 3player, which is available online and through UPC’s On Demand service.
- To donate to the Kasey Kelly Trust Fund, visit www.mycharity.ie/charity/kare4kasey/ or www.kare4kasey.com. You can also text Kasey to 57802. Texts cost €3 (1x €2 and 1x €1) 18+. SP Phonovation Ltd. Helpline: (0818) 217-100. €1.91 ex VAT will go to Kare4Kasey.
