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Family in race against time to raise £500,000 for daughter's cancer treatment

Eleven-year-old Vanessa Riddle has a rare and life-threatening form of cancer which her family hope to treat in the US.

13 January 2012 19:10 GMT

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A family is trying to raise half a million pounds to save their 11-year-old daughter from a life-threatening childhood cancer.

Vanessa Riddle, from Troon, was diagnosed three years ago with neuroblastoma, a rare condition which affects just 100 children a year in the UK.

After undergoing intensive chemotherapy and many operations Vanessa was given the all-clear, only for the cancer to relapse a month ago.

Family in race against time to raise £500,000 for daughter's cancer treatment

Now her family say her only hope is to fly her to the United States for expensive treatment at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Following her relapse doctors told Vanessa her chances of survival are less than ten per cent, but her family hope that better relapse treatment in the US will boost her prospects.

She said: "I was gobsmacked, I couldn't believe that I had this big condition and I needed to stay in hospital all the time.

I was a bit disappointed as well, because I found out that it only affects 100 kids a year in the UK and I was like, what's the chances of it getting me? But it got me."

To donate to Vanessa's appeal visit http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal.

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  1. Default avatar

    1. 13 Jan 2012 19:44Billy Murphy said

    If everyone who watches STV news gave a fiver, Vanessa could be on a flight to the USA quick-smart! Just saying ... ... ...

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    2. 14 Jan 2012 16:00Angela Wilson said

    So sad that any family has to be put in this position. So much money is wasted by the NHS every year. I appreciate are lucky we have an NHS service in this country but they seriously have too look at how money is allocated so as family's like Vanessa's dont have to go through this sort of thing.

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    3. 18 Jan 2012 22:02Cleo Black said

    I hope the lottery winners from Largs see this! God bless the wee soul and I pray she gets to America. My boss is helping out :)

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