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£25,000 raised in just five days for Harrogate girl with rare cancer

Tuesday, 27 February 2024 04:00

A fundraising campaign for 16-year-old Elizabeth Hatton has raised £25,000 after she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

£25,000 raised in just five days for Harrogate girl with rare cancer A fundraising campaign to support a 16-year-old girl from Harrogate with a rare form of cancer has raised £25,000 after just five days. The campaign was launched in support of Harrogate Grammar pupil Elizabeth Hatton. Elizabeth was recently taken to A&E as she was experiencing abdominal pain and some bloating. The previous day, an out of hours GP had suggested it could be due to an ovarian cyst. However, following a scan, doctors revealed Elizabeth had tumours on both ovaries, multiple in her liver and a larger mass in her omentum and peritoneum. Just days later, Elizabeth’s mum, Vicky Robayna, was told her daughter’s cancer was in fact a rare and aggressive sarcoma - Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour. There are only 12 cases of this rare cancer in the UK each year - 80% of which are in males. Only 15% of those diagnosed have survived beyond 5 years. Following the diagnosis, Vicky launched a fundraising page in order to consult with Emily Slotkin - a specialist in America - in the hope that she will work alongside Elizabeth’s consultant in the UK. Vicky said:

“Our sole priority now is to give Elizabeth the best possible chance of being in that 15% whilst ensuring we make the most of every single day we have. “The future is far from certain, and whilst we may not be able to give Elizabeth the future she has dreamed of, we are determined to give her the best possible life for however long she has left.”
In just five days, the fundraising campaign has raised more than £25,000, smashing the original target. Any additional funds will go towards helping Elizabeth realise her dream of becoming a photographer. Vicky said:
“If we raise funds beyond this [target] we would like to help Elizabeth to purchase photography equipment. “Her dream is to become a professional photographer and although in normal circumstances we would have encouraged her to save for what she needed, our normal rules flew out of the window about the same time as her diagnosis flew in. “Additionally, we would like to make sure that Elizabeth has as many memorable moments as possible, both so she can have incredible experiences and so that her friends and family get to store as many incredible memories of her as possible.”
The consultant costs around £5,000 per appointment, including a review of the latest scans and testing. Elizabeth's family hope to use these appointments at pivotal points in her treatment when her consultants feel it is most appropriate. Contribute towards Elizabeth’s fundraising campaign here. Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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