A 15-year-old from Sunderland is suffering from a rare form of cancer, with donations for his treatment flooding in. Jude Hazard's family are desperately trying to find medical help for his condition, which is not currently available in the UK.
Jude, from the Silksworth area, has just been diagnosed with an extremely uncommon and aggressive vascular cancer. His parents Daniel, 42, and Katie, 39, along with Daniel's cousin Shaun, have been raising money to secure the treatment he urgently needs.
Diagnosis after holiday symptoms
The diagnosis came after Jude experienced shortness of breath while on a family holiday in April. Multiple visits to doctors and the A&E department at Sunderland Royal Hospital led a cardiothoracic surgeon to request in-depth scans of his heart.
Recalling the events, Jude's dad Daniel said: "When the scan found an 8cm tumour in the left atrium of his heart, Jude was immediately rushed to the Freeman Hospital for an emergency operation. He's a clever lad, so was asking all the questions about his operation, and I remember the five hours he was in surgery for were traumatic."
"He went into cardiac arrest on the table and flatlined for two minutes, but they were able to bring him back, and thankfully he suffered no side effects of that. I remember he squeezed my finger and signalled to ask me what time the football was on, it was a World Cup semi-final that day."
No cure in the UK
It was after the operation, when the family thought he was recovering, that they received the crushing news that it was cancer in his heart with no cure. Jude did not want chemotherapy and radiotherapy when there was a good chance it would not work, and the family were given a timescale of around one to two years.
The cancer is incredibly rare, with around 35 cases per 100 million people, all of which are adults, making Jude's condition a medical anomaly. The family began exploring treatment options in the USA, but the costs were astronomical, and Japan is now being considered as an alternative.
Community fundraising efforts
Throughout the process, the community has rallied to support Jude and his family, helping to raise over £72,000 on one of the GoFundMe pages. The money will cover any costs involved in getting Jude treatment, including care, travel, and accommodation.
Daniel added: "We feel like we have to look everywhere and do everything that we can to find treatment for Jude. It has been a whirlwind, I don't even think we know what day it is most of the time, it is just impossible, but we will keep fighting for Jude."
Jude's great cousin Shaun Ward, 36, is taking on a three peaks challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon in just 24 hours. With just over £6,000 raised so far, he is preparing for the event on September 5 as he looks to "do something myself" for Jude.
Shaun also said: "I want to do anything that I can do to help Jude get the treatment he deserves, and to support the rest of the family financially as well. Everything will go towards the great cause, and I'm looking forward to testing myself and my endurance at the same time."
Donations can be made to either the main GoFundMe page or the three peaks challenge GoFundMe page to help Jude and his family raise more money for his treatment.
