A family has launched a desperate appeal to fund treatment for their toddler whose brain tumour has been declared ‘just a couple of millimetres’ too large for NHS treatment.
Two-year-old Bodie McNulty, from Rochdale, was diagnosed with a cancerous ependymoma (tumour) and cyst that filled a fifth of her skull in Christmas 2016 and underwent major brain surgery followed by 12 months of chemotherapy.
The procedure removed much of the mass and her parents – Kevin McNulty, 24 and Lauren Thornton, 22 – were preparing to travel to Florida for NHS-funded treatment for the small remainder left on her brain stem.
However during a recent MRI scan, doctors found a previously unnoticed, inoperable mass on her brain stem which, if left untreated, will kill her.
Speaking to MailOnline FEMAIL, Kevin told how Bodie’s remaining tumour is just under 1cm exceeds the 5mm size requirement for NHS treatment for proton beam therapy by just a few millimetres.
Bodie McNulty was diagnosed with a cancerous ependymoma (tumour) and cyst that filled a fifth of her skull in Christmas 2016 and underwent major brain surgery on New Year’s Eve
MailOnline has contacted the NHS for comment.
The family are now desperately trying to raise £175,000 on JustGiving to fund life-saving Proton Beam Therapy in Germany for their daughter.
Bodie’s mother Lauren Thornton said: ‘We are now faced with the agonising choice of having to self-fund life-saving Proton Beam Therapy, not currently available in the UK, or give her conventional Photon Radiotherapy.’
Lauren believes Photon Radiotherapy would cause more long-term damage to her daughter as it ‘also hits healthy brain tissue’.
Kevin McNulty, 24 and Lauren Thornton, 22 were preparing to travel to Florida for NHS-funded treatment for the small remainder left on her brain stem
Anguish: Bodie’s remaining tumour is just under 1cm exceeds the 5mm size requirement for NHS treatment for Proton Beam Therapy by just a few millimetres
Bodie started with symptoms of sickness and constant tiredness which rapidly progressed into her losing the ability to crawl, sit up or even support her own head.
The sixth time the family arrived at their local A&E department a locum doctor checked the reflexes in her legs and suggested an ultrasound of her brain.
This revealed ‘abnormality’, and Bodie was transferred by ambulance to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, who then rushed her for an MRI scan and told the family the heartbreaking news that she had a brain tumour big enough to occupy one fifth of her skull.
Lauren recalled: ‘Bodie’s first surgery was on New Year’s Eve (2017) to relieve pressure in her skull and four days later she had further brain surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible.
Cancer: Bodie started with symptoms of sickness and constant tiredness which rapidly progressed into her losing the ability to crawl, sit up or even support her own head
Appeal: The family are now desperately trying to raise £175,000 on JustGiving to fund life-saving Proton Beam Therapy in Germany for their daughter
Illness: The sixth time the family arrived at their local A&E department a locum doctor checked the reflexes in Bodie’s legs and suggested an ultrasound of her brain
Lauren believes Photon Radiotherapy would cause more long-term damage to her daughter as it ‘also hits healthy brain tissue’
‘Sadly after nine hours the neurosurgeons could only manage to safely remove approximately half of the tumour.
‘Two weeks after the surgery we were given Bodie’s official Cancer diagnosis, she has a Grade 3 Anaplastic Posterior Fossa Ependymoma.
‘Bodie has endured 12 months of chemotherapy which has worked far better than her consultant had previously thought it would, she has also had two further surgeries in February 2018.
‘The small remainder of the tumour is inoperable as it is in her brain stem.’