WAITING FOR A MIRACLE
FAMILY and friends of a seriously ill Dromore girl are praying for a miracle as they await a crucial brain scan early next month.
Four year-old Kirsten Brown of Hawthorn Walk was diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare kind of brain tumour, at the age of just 18-months.
A harrowing combination of surgical and drug treatment was believed to have stopped the cancer, but a little more than a year ago it began to grow again, doctors pronouncing it inoperable in a devastating blow for Kirsten's family.
When the Leader last spoke to Kirsten's mum Lisa, she and husband, Paul, were waiting to see if Great Ormond Street Hospital would hold out hope of a surgical solution.
But only recently the London hospital ruled out surgery as things stand.
"They said it wasn't an option at the minute, unless, maybe, there was some shrinkage," said Lisa, who is still determined to pursue every avenue in what has become a worldwide search for hope of a cure.
There has been talk of experimental drugs, Lisa having already signalled the family's willingness to try anything. Their search has taken in specialist clinics in England, Canada, Switzerland and America, so far without success.
Again, the family is awaiting Kirsten's upcoming scan so they can send the results to a professor in England with experience of the youngster's rare form of cancer.
Lisa said Kirsten had shown signs of improvement (she recently embarked on another type of chemotherapy) but nevertheless the result of the upcoming scan could be vital.
Lisa earlier described their indomitable "wee princess", who has two protective brothers, Jordan (12) and Jamie (10), as having been a "wee miracle" from day one.
"We just can't believe what we've been told because she has fought this for so long," she said at the time.
This week Lisa said: "She has been doing well, but the cancer has spread through her brain and really we are just waiting on her next scan and holding back for that to send it to England.
"We're waiting on a miracle."
Lisa said that should the scan bring unwelcome news the family could only reassess their options at that point.
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Weather for Dromore
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 6 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
