THE PARENTS of a one-year-old girl have been left ‘shaken to their core’ after she was diagnosed with a killer disease.
On her first birthday, Hallie Evans went to have a scan so that medics could look at what her mum and dad thought was a birthmark on her back.
But after attending the MRI scan in August, the youngster was diagnosed with cancer in her lower spine and pelvis.
Hallie is now undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
A neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children, the NHS states.
It usually develops from specialised nerve cells known as neuroblasts, which have been left over from their development in the womb.
It can occur in the adrenal glands above the kidneys, or in the nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord in the neck, chest, tummy or pelvis.
Following their daughter’s diagnosis, parents Hayley Williams and Jamie Evans are now raising money to cover the costs of travelling to the hospitals while caring for their daughter.
Jamie said: “On Hallie’s 1st Birthday she was asked by Alder Hey to attend there for an MRI scan, on what we were told was a birthmark under her skin on her back.
“Unfortunately we had the results on my younger brother’s birthday saying that the unthinkable had been found and more tests were needed.”
Jamie said the diagnosis in August had “shaken our whole family to its core” .
But he said Hallie is a “warrior” who is battling through and that she has had some positive results.
He added: “She has been through two different strength chemotherapy treatments as the first one that was tried wasn’t having the effect needed to get rid of this nightmare.
“Luckily we are seeing some more positive results with the stronger chemotherapy but that in turn has and is taking its toll on our baby. She struggles eating most days and some days hardly has the energy to move about the room and will lie on her mum for hours on end
“She’s also now in hospital for five days at a time with her chemo instead of the original three with the weaker dose.”
The dad is now appealing for funds as the cost of living crisis bites.
Donations will go towards travel costs from the two hospitals, which are over 40 miles apart.
He added that he understands Christmas is just around the corner, and knows it’s a lot to ask.
“I wouldn’t ask unless it was needed.
“I don’t want to question if keeping my family warm during the winter is okay or not due to rise in energy bills or then in a domino effect risk not being able to afford travel expenses for Hallie’s much needed trips back and to the hospital.
“Whether that is for her chemotherapy in Liverpool or, because of her immune system being none existent, having to go to the Maelor for days of antibiotics and blood/platelet transfusions,” he said.
Hallie’s grandmother Sharon Evans has now set up a GoFundMe page.
Posting to the page she said she is ‘absolutely heartbroken’.
She added that after the diagnosis, their lives paused and won’t be the same again until they hear the words ‘Hallie has kicked cancer’s butt’.
