On 13th May 2015, Kimberley's family heard the words that no family wants to hear; it is cancer.
At the time Kim was 13 and had been experiencing pain in her calf. She was referred to the hospital to have a scan and only a few hours later her mother, Kellie, received a phone call to say that Kim had a tumour.
Kellie said that she feared it was cancerous from the very moment they mentioned the word tumour. Her father on the other hand tried to reassure her that life wouldn't be that cruel.
After more tests, scans, x-rays, blood tests, biopsies, and lots of anxious waiting, Kim was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma - an extremely rare form of bone cancer in children. In fact this particular type of cancer only affects 30 children per year in the UK.
Treatment
Kim needed extremely intensive and aggressive chemotherapy with, what her oncologist say, were one of the most horrendous cocktails of drugs there are. This caused severe mucositis, burning in her hands and feet, the inability to walk at times and ulcers in her mouth and digestive system. The ulcers caused extreme pain and discomfort, so that she was unable to eat or drink. Like all chemo patients, Kim also experienced the nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness and hair loss, spending the majority of this year within the confinements of a hospital bed, away from her friends and family, including two young sisters who are six and three.
Amputation
Even after enduring all of those side effects for a period of four months, her consultants discovered that the tumour, although reduced in size, had wrapped itself around the neuro-vascular bundle within her leg. The difficult decision was made to amputate Kim’s leg to save her life. She underwent surgery just three weeks after her 14th birthday and spent the following week gaining strength so that she could go home with her family.
How You Can Help
Now Kim would love a life-like silicon leg with an electric knee - which is not available on the NHS. She also dreams of having a prosthetic blade so that she can get back to doing the sports she enjoyed doing before she was diagnosed, and possibly one day be a Paralympian!
A life-like leg with electronic knee will cost approximately £60,000, and running blades are around £10,000. Kim’s family and friends have raised around £40,000 and now, with your help, we’re hoping to contribute towards to the remaining amount needed.
Kim has remained positive throughout her treatment and shown such a strength of character for someone of such a young age. With your help, we really hope to help Kim achieve her dream!
At the time Kim was 13 and had been experiencing pain in her calf. She was referred to the hospital to have a scan and only a few hours later her mother, Kellie, received a phone call to say that Kim had a tumour.
Kellie said that she feared it was cancerous from the very moment they mentioned the word tumour. Her father on the other hand tried to reassure her that life wouldn't be that cruel.
After more tests, scans, x-rays, blood tests, biopsies, and lots of anxious waiting, Kim was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma - an extremely rare form of bone cancer in children. In fact this particular type of cancer only affects 30 children per year in the UK.
Treatment
Kim needed extremely intensive and aggressive chemotherapy with, what her oncologist say, were one of the most horrendous cocktails of drugs there are. This caused severe mucositis, burning in her hands and feet, the inability to walk at times and ulcers in her mouth and digestive system. The ulcers caused extreme pain and discomfort, so that she was unable to eat or drink. Like all chemo patients, Kim also experienced the nausea, vomiting, tiredness, weakness and hair loss, spending the majority of this year within the confinements of a hospital bed, away from her friends and family, including two young sisters who are six and three.
Amputation
Even after enduring all of those side effects for a period of four months, her consultants discovered that the tumour, although reduced in size, had wrapped itself around the neuro-vascular bundle within her leg. The difficult decision was made to amputate Kim’s leg to save her life. She underwent surgery just three weeks after her 14th birthday and spent the following week gaining strength so that she could go home with her family.
How You Can Help
Now Kim would love a life-like silicon leg with an electric knee - which is not available on the NHS. She also dreams of having a prosthetic blade so that she can get back to doing the sports she enjoyed doing before she was diagnosed, and possibly one day be a Paralympian!
A life-like leg with electronic knee will cost approximately £60,000, and running blades are around £10,000. Kim’s family and friends have raised around £40,000 and now, with your help, we’re hoping to contribute towards to the remaining amount needed.
Kim has remained positive throughout her treatment and shown such a strength of character for someone of such a young age. With your help, we really hope to help Kim achieve her dream!
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