A charity inspired by brave cancer lad Bradley Lowery is in a race against time to save other kids – after coronavirus struck a double blow.
A 65 per cent drop in donations and strict new visa requirements to enter the US mean children - including a young Scot - might not be able to complete pioneering vaccine treatment.
Bradley’s mum Gemma, 36, says the youngsters need to return to New York by the end of June or risk being removed from the scheme.
Her football-mad son melted the nation’s hearts as he fought neuroblastoma – a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Bradley, six, became pals with Rangers star Jermain Defoe, 37, during the striker’s time at Sunderland.
After his death two years ago, Gemma set up the Bradley Lowery Foundation to help other children fighting the disease.
So far, it has raised more than £3million and helped send more than 30 children to New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The youngsters need to make several trips to receive a bivalent vaccine, which they hope will prevent neuroblastoma returning.
But with Covid-19 wreaking havoc, Gemma said: “Fundraising for families that need to go to the US has practically stopped.
“Secondly, the children already receiving treatment have not been able to get to New York because of Covid. We have to get them there by the end of June or they’ll be kicked off the trial.
“You now need visas to get into the US. In the past it was an ESTA. We’ve contacted the Foreign Office and US Embassy but it’s touch and go if we’ll get them there.”
Gemma said there are three children on the vaccine programme.
They include Rebecca McKenna, from Erskine, Renfrewshire, and Cayla Jones, from Cullompton, Devon.
The charity is trying to raise funds for another three kids to take part.
“It’s potentially life-saving treatment,” Gemma said. “We wouldn’t want to put children at risk of having a relapse.
“You have to accept risk with coronavirus but the higher risk would be if the neuroblastoma returns.
“Everyone is suffering with Covid-19 but we still need to support our children. There will be PPE and procedures for travel.”
The ESTA visa waiver scheme is suspended under US travel restrictions.
Gemma has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to step in and her local MP has called on the US Embassy to help.
Parents of kids already on courses of treatment still hope to go.
Rebecca, five, who was told she was cancer-free last March, is due to receive her final vaccination at the end of June.
Dad Chris said: “She first went to New York last June and had three vaccines in four weeks. We went back in August, November and February.
“If a child with neuroblastoma relapses, the chances of survival are something like one in 10.
“That’s the fear. We need the full treatment to be sure it works.”
Cayla was diagnosed with neuroblastoma aged four.
Now six, she had eight rounds of chemo and surgery to remove the tumour, and got the all-clear last year.
She began the vaccine trial in October and is half way through the schedule.
But her worried mum Enya Gooding fears she could miss the rest of her treatment.
Enya said: “She was due to go on March 28. I’ve got an appointment with the US Embassy and hope they fast-track her visa so we can go at the end of June.”
