Rae of Sunshine: Appeal to get Calum, 4, life-saving cancer treatment
Calum Rae's family is trying to raise £250k for ground-breaking treatment, after he was diagnosed with an aggressive neuroblastoma
A family from South Ayrshire is issuing an urgent appeal to help give their 4-year-old son a fighting chance at beating cancer.
Little Calum Rae, from Troon, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive tumour which has a low survival rate.
His family are now crowdfunding in an attempt to raise £250,000 for specialist treatment in New York, which could save his life.
Heartbroken parents Andy and Victoria say the "The Rae of Sunshine" campaign is named after Calum's unwavering smile and bravery throughout his battle, despite harsh chemotherapy and medicines.
Andy explains how their world was turned upside down: "When the doctor tells you that your child has cancer, it's the most devastating news you could possibly hear.
"To be told that, you feel your life just crumbling apart in that room.
"Even to this day, when you're travelling back and forth to the hospital, you're just thinking about the worst.
"What if I lose my son? It never leaves you."
Heart breaking diagnosis
After falling ill with chicken pox, Calum remained unwell despite the infection clearing up - doctors suspected a spinal infection, but the reality was far worse.
Calum’s MRI scan showed he had a tumour above his adrenal gland which had spread throughout his full body with widespread bone marrow and bone involvement.
Calum was diagnosed with stage M high-risk Neuroblastoma. This is a rare and aggressive cancer with a poor survival rate due to it being highly likely to return.
Possible treatment
However, a new vaccination is in trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, which specialises in Neuroblastoma and is world-leading in developing immunotherapies.
This vaccine hopes to train the immune system to identify and destroy neuroblastoma cells. It also aims to reduce the chance of relapse and increase the chance of survival.
The vaccine is not available in the UK meaning Calum must make the journey to New York multiple times throughout the year to receive the treatment.
Dad Andy tells us this opportunity cannot be missed: "This could be potentially life saving treatment for Calum.
"Any parent who's faced with this will know that if there's anything you can do to help extend your child's life, you'll do everything possible for them."
£200,000 left to raise
The local community have been blown away by Calum's incredible strength and positivity throughout the process, with Andy adding he is constantly smiling, playing with toys and giving kisses.
The pair have already raised more than £50,000 through Just Giving - but say there's still a mountain to climb.
"We're a fifth of the way through so far, but there's still a long way to go," Andy adds.
"The response so far has been fantastic and we're eternally grateful for any donations."
You can donate to the Calum's Rae of Sunshine appeal here.