Background on Camille's condition and current treatment:

In June 2009, Camille was diagnosed with an Intracranial Ependymoma situated in the fourth ventricle between the cerebellum and the brain stem at the base of the brain. The tumour is currently pressing against the cerebellum and brain stem making surgery too dangerous. The treatment plan is to offer chemotherapy to shrink the tumour away from these two areas so surgery can take place. Chemotherapy started on 23rd July 2009 and is planned to last for 12 months or more.

 

We are extremely hopeful that the treatment Camille receives at Addenbrookes will be enough to cure her.  We are absolutely certain that the amazing team of Surgeons, Consultants, Doctors and Nurses looking after her will do the very best they can for Camille.  We have never been so grateful for our wonderful NHS.

 

Standard radiotherapy at this stage is too dangerous for children under 3, but would normally be given to post operative patients to kill any remaining malignant cells that the surgeon is unable to remove. Chemotherapy will again be used as a replacement for Camille, however it is unlikely that chemotherapy and surgery alone will cure Camille of this tumour. Advanced radiotherapy solutions for children affected by brain tumours are constantly being trialled and improved. These advanced treatments do not have as large an affect on brain development as it is used to 'internally' pinpoint and eradicate the tumour therefore bypassing the many issues standard radiotherapy creates.

In September, Camille had her first MRI scan to determine if the chemotherapy treatment was working. The scan showed that the tumour had remained un-changed.  This is good news, given we had a 4 week delay in treatment from (the original) diagnosis, it has demonstrated the chemo is currently controlling growth. 
 

Camille’s Appeal has been created to support children under five suffering from Brain Tumours. As an organisation we not only recognise that long-term survival is the first goal for any family going through this ordeal. However, Camille’s Appeal also recognises that life after treatment is as important to these brave children and their families.

 

Successful treatment of Brain Tumours in the United Kingdom is comparable with any other country in the world, and in some areas our treatments lead the way across the globe. Survival rates continue to improve, slowly but surely; but we are yet to find a cure for Brain Tumours that has little or no affect on the healthy tissue surrounding the Tumour. The under five’s are even more at risk from lasting disabilities and lost potential as treatments such as Radiotherapy have such a damaging affect on the young.

 

It is widely accepted that the brain can relearn important functions and attributes after it has been damaged. Within the NHS, Stroke victims go through an intense treatment plan to try and regain some of the day to day skills that had been lost during the illness. No such programme exists for Brain Tumour sufferers consistently across the United Kingdom at this time. With Camille’s Appeal focused on the under five’s, whose Brains are far more agile than those of adults, we are looking to assist the NHS in creating a standardised programme to rehabilitate Brain Tumour sufferers so that they can grow to live a normal life. It is our goal to make the difference that enables these brave children to lead happy lives without the constant fear of exploitation in the real world and to give them the chance to maximise their potential.

 

We simply cannot thank you enough for your support.