Fundraising Mission to give South Yorkshire Teen New Year Hope

The friends and family of a South Yorkshire teenager who has Leukaemia are hoping they'll be able to help him start the New Year with a chance of surviving the illness.

Sixteen year old Iwan Clarke from Rawmarsh was diagnosed with the disease when he was ten.

Since then he's had numerous rounds of treatment and two bone marrow transplants but doctors haven't been able to cure him.

His mum Helen told us:

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"We were told he couldn't have any more bone marrow transplants because they'd be too harsh and he wouldn't survive. They've been trying all different treatments, all the new drugs. After initial good responses he's sort of then become immune to the effects of them so they've had to keep trying to find new ones. We've gone through everything now. There's nothing more that we can do over here."

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Now his family and friends are fundraising to take him over to America for a new therapy which isn't available in the UK yet.

It's called CAR T-Cell therapy and Iwan's been accepted on to the programme at Seattle Childrens Hospital but it's going to cost £200,000 for it and for him to be able to stay there for four months.

His mum Helen says they've been doing various fundraising events and have been "overwhelmed" by the support they've had from people.

She's hoping the treatment could be life-saving for Iwan:

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"It'll allow him to have a life. We don't know how long they can keep the disease under control here but we've seen the results of the American trials. The girl who I was following she's three years cancer free so it'd give him a future.

"He doesn't want to be defined by the fundraising and people feeling sorry for him. He's a really bright lad and he has so much to offer. I just hope he gets there - I really want him to have the future he should have."

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A sponsored walk's taking place on Sunday 6th December from Greasbrough to Wentworth Woodhouse.

There's more information here about the fundraising campaign.

• Local News