Reality television personality Amy Childs has publicly revealed that her family is enduring a profoundly distressing crisis after her cousin's infant daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive and rare brain tumour. The 35-year-old star of The Only Way Is Essex took to her Instagram account, which boasts one million followers, to share the heartbreaking news and appeal for assistance.
A Plea for Support on Social Media
On Wednesday, Amy posted a screenshot of her cousin Hannah Brincat's JustGiving fundraising page, accompanied by an emotional caption. She wrote, 'Please, if you can, help support my cousin's beautiful daughter Lila. She's fighting so hard and every donation makes a difference. Even sharing this means a lot. Thank you all so much.'
The Diagnosis and Treatment Journey
The fundraising page details the medical ordeal of five-month-old Lila, who was diagnosed at just three weeks old with Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumour, commonly known as AT/RT. This is an exceptionally rare, fast-growing, and highly aggressive cancerous tumour that typically develops in the brain and spinal cord of children under three years old.
Hannah Brincat explained on the page, 'Our beautiful little Lila is only 5 months old and been through more in her little life than any adult we know. Our brave girl, our little lion cub.' She described how Lila underwent a nine-hour brain surgery at three weeks old and began chemotherapy at five weeks old.
Devastating Setback and Seeking Alternatives
Despite enduring six rounds of chemotherapy, a recent MRI scan revealed that the tumour has returned. Hannah wrote, 'We were told that treatment would not continue and we were out of options.' The family has been living in a children's hospice for two weeks, having previously spent four months in hospital, separated from their three other children.
In a desperate bid for hope, the family has reached out to an oncologist in Toronto who leads research on AT/RT, seeking a second opinion. Hannah acknowledged, 'We have no idea if there are any options for us, what they could be and how much it might cost us.'
Fundraising Efforts and Community Response
The JustGiving page has set a target of £25,000 to prepare for potential treatment costs. Hannah emphasised, 'The target is therefore completely random - but if by some miracle, they come through with something for us to try and it comes down to finances, we need to be prepared. Time is not on our side.'
She assured potential donors that any funds raised would not be wasted, stating that if their efforts prove unsuccessful, donations would be generously given to charities that have supported them during this difficult period.
At the time of publication, the fundraising campaign had garnered significant support, raising £24,350 towards its £25,000 goal, demonstrating a strong community response to Amy Childs' heartfelt appeal.
