A Deeping St Nicholas youngster is having life-changing medical treatment in the USA thanks to the generosity of Lincolnshire Free Press readers.
Kieran Taylor (seven) is in his second week of proton beam therapy to treat a rare brain tumour called craniopharyngioma which causes eyesight problems, behavioural changes and slow growth.
The youngster, along with sister Caitlin (nine), mother Karen and father Steve flew out to the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.
But it was only made possible by a fundraising appeal led by our sister newspaper, The Spalding Guardian, where readers, churches, charities and St John the Baptist Primary School, which Kieran and Caitlin both attend, raised well over £10,000 for the family’s medical trip.
Karen said: “Things have been great and we’re absolutely ecstatic that everybody has been so wonderful to us in getting everything sorted out.
“Raising the money has been absolutely brilliant and the children think it’s marvellous as well.
“We had three and a half weeks to acclimatize before Kieran was supposed to have started his treatment on Tuesday, June 20, but he had a few problems with lying still for the treatment.
“So it started on Wednesday, June 21, and Kieran has treatment for half an hour a day, Monday to Friday, for 30 days.
“He’s taking everything in his stride and doesn’t seem to be bothered about anything, except that he has to work on keeping his head still for the treatment.”
Kieran is having proton beam therapy to destroy cancerous cells in his brain which are close to a vital blood vessel.
The brain tumour had been previously operated on at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge last May where surgeons were able to remove 95 per cent of the tumour.
But Karen said: “Apparently, they didn’t get the whole of the tumour out and it’s touching the main blood vessel in his brain.
“This treatment will stop the tumour spreading so that there won’t be any more adverse effects on his sight or blood vessel.
“Kieran won’t need to have any more operations, but the treatment won’t get rid of the conditions he has as a result of the tumour.”
The family are staying in accommodation run by the Ronald McDonald House Charity, a non-profit organisation linked to the global fast food giant.
Karen said: “It’s made our lives so much easier so we can concentrate on Kieran without having any worries.”