LITTLE Lilly MacGlashan, whose cancer battle touched the hearts of Herald&Post readers, has come home to Dunstable for Christmas after nine months of life-saving treatment in New York put her illness into remission.
Her parents say the toddler, whose rare form of neuroblastoma meant she had to be treated in the US, has been branded a “miracle baby” by doctors in the Big Apple.
The cancer was initially found in Lilly’s brain, and then spread to the rest of her body.
But the little fighter has taken the courses of chemotherapy and antibody therapy in her stride, and has amazed doctors with how well she has responded to her treatment.
Yesterday Lilly and her twin sister Molly turned two, and the MacGlashans held a family party.
Mum Dawn, 43, said: “Lilly is really, really well. The doctors are in awe of her, because despite having had the neuroblastoma in her eyes her eyesight is perfect.
“They say she’s a miracle.”
Specialists say that in terms of development, Lilly is about six months behind her healthy twin, and five weeks ago her parents had the joy of seeing her take her first steps.
“We were over the moon,” said Dawn. “She was getting really frustrated seeing Molly walking for nearly a year.
“You could see on her face how pleased she was when she managed it herself.”
The youngster will return to the States in January for further treatment with antibodies, which will give her an 80 per cent chance of remaining free of the cancer.
To date, Lilly’s treatment has cost around £500,000, much of which was raised by the efforts of friends and family, and also by complete strangers who had read about the Lilly’s plight in the Herald&Post.
The next stage of her treatment, available in the UK but off-limits to Lilly because of the relapse she suffered early in 2011, is likely to cost a further £200,000. She will need to return to the US several times a year for testing even when the treatment is complete.
The family are continuing with their fundraising efforts with the help of the Neuroblastoma Alliance UK, and Dawn said she wanted to thank everyone who had helped raise the vital funds needed to pay for Lilly’s treatment to date.
Dawn said: “It’s hard to put into words how we feel. We want to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts, each and every person. I don’t know if people will ever know how grateful we are but without them this just wouldn’t have been possible.
“They’ve given us our daughter back.”
To support Lilly’s appeal with the Neuroblastoma Alliance UK, visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LillyMacglashan or text LILY01 (followed by the amount of your donation) to 70070.