OUR STORY
Luna suffered from a rare form of cancer and just before her 2nd birthday she was diagnosed with an Ependymoma, a brain tumour which attacks the central nervous system. She went through extensive surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
This disease has only a fifteen per cent survival rate.
The doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital came to the difficult decision that they could do no more to treat Luna. Our only option was to raise as much money as we could and seek alternative treatment overseas.
Our first experience of overseas treatment was at the Burzynski Clinic in Texas where Luna spent 6 weeks in September 2011.
The treatment came with a degree of success but it seemed that it was too aggressive for Luna’s little body to cope with.
So in March 2012 we visited Dr Woolf in Boston who used pioneering treatment to analyse a piece of Luna’s tumour to create specific therapy. This had fantastic results. Whilst Luna was on two of the seven recommended drugs, she really was the best she’d been for four years.
But sadly the tumour continued to grow.
The tumour had grown dangerously close to Luna’s brain stem and in June 2012 we were given the devastating news that there was nothing more that could be done for Luna.
Our family’s strength through these awful dark days was made all the more apparent by the strength shown by our amazing little girl.
She finally fell asleep, with us all by her bedside, on the 8th of August 2012.
We are Lucy and Mario, Luna’s parents, and we wanted something good to come out of everything we fought for with Luna.
And so Luna’s Little Stars was born.
The charity’s aim is to help other families in a similar situation, who need support, whether it’s through funding for overseas medical expertise – Giving Hope, or by sending terminally ill children on a magical trip to Euro Disney to create some special memories to cherish – Granting Wishes. If you are in such a position, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
OUR WORK
In order to be able to provide children and families with the support they need, obviously we have to raise money. This is no different from any charity, we rely on you to donate; and to host coffee mornings, cake sales, fashion shows, golf days, fun runs, raffles, auctions, bike rides (and even the office swear box) – the list is endless, it’s up to you.
We also organise and host 3 annual events
Hilton Hotel Annual Ball
Paint Me Pink Fun Run
Firewalk – Hot Coals for Cool Cash