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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Mel King

Seven-year-old girl diagnosed with rare childhood illness 'may not make it to Christmas'

The family of a little girl who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer have been told she might not make it to Christmas.

Seven-year-old Isla Caton was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma when she was just two years old and has gone through vast amounts of chemotherapy and operations ever since.

Around only 100 children are diagnosed with the disease every year.

Read more: 'Our daughter has just had her second birthday but will soon have her 36th operation'

Her parents, Nikki and Michael, launched a fundraising campaign and sold their home and possessions to pay for treatment and to give her everthing she needs.

Her parents have been fundraising for her treatment (Nikki Caton)

Brave Isla, from Essex, started to go through her incredibly tough treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital and kept smiling all the way.

In 2018, Nikki and Michael were given the heartbreaking news that no parent should ever hear - their daughter had three months to live.

But they started a fundraising campaign to help with her treatment and raise awareness, and managed to get life-saving treatment for their beloved daughter.

They even sold their possessions in order to take her to Barcelona for life-saving treatment, where they remained for two years until returning home to the UK when the pandemic struck.

Little Isla has a very rare condition (Nikki Caton)

Since then, the family has given their all to give Isla the best life - even selling their home to give her everything she desires.

But sadly, Isla's family have now been told the that Isla only has weeks to live.

Speaking on her Facebook Live, Isla's mum Nikki tearfully told everybody following Isla's story that she may not make it to Christmas Day.

In the heartbreaking video uploaded last Monday, Nikki informed Isla's supporters that doctors would be stopping treatment as there was little more they could do to fight the neuroblastoma.

She said in the video: "Isla had her MRI scan and they [the doctors] called me. I went in the room and I knew what was coming.

"They told me that the cancer had spread which means the chemo wasn't working.

"They said that Isla's bone marrow is failing and that we have to stop chemo and that she's got weeks, maybe shorter. She might not see Christmas.

"If my love could save her then she would live forever because she's my absolute everything. But while she is here, I'm going to make sure she has the best of everything."

Isla's family were marking Christmas early (Nikki Caton)

She added in a second video: "Isla is still really good in herself so it's all a bit of a shock. We knew there wasn't much choice out there left without putting her under a lot of illness to make her better.

"We have done that part... and I don't want her to suffer.

"While she is here, I fight for her every single day and I'm going to give her the best, however long she's here."

Nikki wants to give Isla "everything" and to ensure that every day is Christmas for her.

She added that Christmas was being brought forward for Isla to this weekend, although Nikki remains hopeful.

"Throughout this process, I've fought to give her the best of everything. I make every day count, no matter what," Nikki said.

"I have got myself into debt, I have lost everything, but I have fought.

"I'm just going to give everything to her that I can, in the short period of time that we have. I'm going to make every day Christmas for Isla."

Nikki added that she thanks everybody for their love and support.

Isla's fundraiser can also be found by clicking here.

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