Thousands raised in one week for toddler’s cancer treatment

Nearly £13,000 has been raised for a two-year-old girl just over a week after she was diagnosed with a rare cancer.

Flora Gentleman was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma in April and is now receiving intensive chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumour in her stomach.

Further tests revealed the cancer had spread to the bones around her skull, eyes and in her bone marrow.

The toddler from Aberlady, East Lothian, now faces a gruelling 18 months of treatment at Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, in Edinburgh.

Neuroblastoma affects around 100 kids each year in the UK and is most common in children under the age of five, but the cause is still unknown.

The chances of relapse are around 50%, with a survival rate of just one in ten.

Mum-of-one Stephanie Kent and dad Jamie Gentleman, both 29, are now fundraising for clinical trials in America.

The couple teamed up with the Solving Kids’ Cancer charity in a bid to raise money for research and the trials.

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To date more than £12,900 has been raised for little Flora, as her parents said they were ‘blown away’ by the support.

An update on the funding page read: “We are blown away by your generosity and kindness.

“We owe a huge thank you to every single person who has donated so far and everyone who continues to donate and fundraise for Flora.”

Earlier this year Flora, who is normally ‘full of beans’ began to grow quiet, lethargic, irritable and complained of a sore stomach.

Stephanie and police officer dad Jamie Gentleman, 29, knew something wasn’t right – but despite taking Flora to GPs three times were told it was just a viral infection.

Stephanie said she was treated like an “overreactive” mum but Flora was finally admitted to hospital in March and shortly after received the devastating diagnosis.

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Stephanie said: “Flora will be in and out of hospital to have treatment for the next 18 months.

“Because her cancer is so aggressive she will have eight rounds of chemo every ten days.

“The chemo will shrink the tumour in her stomach and the doctors hope to remove it at some point.

“After 18 months her treatment will stop but she has a 50 per cent chance to relapse which is why we are fundraising for clinical trials in America.

“We feel like we have been left to do all of this alone.

“It’s hard enough going through treatment without having to think about going to America because she can’t have it at home.”

“I’d never heard of neuroblastoma before Flora.

“It affects around 100 kids each year in the UK and while treatment with the NHS has come a long way, the battle isn’t over at the end of treatment.

“The chances of relapse are around 50%, with a survival rate of just one in ten, so we would like to fundraise for research into the cancer.

“But also for two potential clinical trials which are on our radar.”

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