Appeal for Kelli cancer treatment fund reaches £500k target

And now Tom Attwater has reached his £500,000 fundraising target to send Kelli abroad for pioneering treatment.

Tom, aged 32, and his wife Joely, 27, believe that the cancer treatment is vital for their daughter.

The couple, who live in Pattingham, needed to raise half a million pounds while Tom is facing a major health battle of his own against a terminal brain tumour.

Five-year-old Kelli was diagnosed with neuroblastoma – a form of childhood cancer – when she was three-months-old and although there is now no sign of the disease in her body, doctors have told her parents that a relapse is likely.

The money is now ready in case Kelli suffers a relapse and needs to be treated. It is the perfect Christmas present for the family, who are also expecting their second child in May.

The appeal has seen fundraising events being held across Shropshire and Tom's home village of Pattingham with family and friends rallying people to back the campaign.

Tom, who went to Bridgnorth Endowed School, said: "I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped with the appeal from Bridgnorth and Pattingham and other local areas.

"We wouldn't have got to our target without them. There are too many people to thank individually, but I wish you all a wonderful Christmas time and New Year."

Joely said she is relieved to know that if her daughter needs specialist medical treatment in the future, the family will be able to take her straight away.

"There were times when I thought we would struggle to reach our target by this Christmas, but I had complete faith in Tom," she said.

"He made it his goal to achieve this and has worked so hard to make it happen – I am so proud of him."

Joely said it had been a very up and down two-year journey, which was started when Kelli suffered a relapse.

"To have raised such a huge amount of money in that time is extraordinary," she said.

"There have been difficult and exhausting times, but more recently we have received a lot of public support for our appeal and that support has taken some of the pressure off us," she said.

"This has been extremely helpful throughout some difficult times this year, like Tom's radiotherapy. For that I thank everyone who has ever donated, supported and fundraised for Kelli's appeal.

"There have been so many amazingly kind people who have helped us so much to choose any that stand out," she said.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has helped us.

"The horrible thing about neuroblastoma is that it is very unpredictable and it is known to come back many years later.

"Kelli could need treatment at any point over the next 20 years.

"It gives us great relief to know that should Kelli relapse for a second time we would be able to take her for treatment immediately.

"This will significantly increase her survival rate," said her proud mum.

Friends and family have rallied round the campaign, coming up with numerous ideas to help Tom and his family to reach their target.

Recent examples include Will Groves, of Pattingham, who has been sponsored to learn to box in 10 weeks, while Ben Rose, of Codsall, ran a half marathon to support the fundraising appeal.

Tom and his family have also featured regularly in national and regional newspapers and on television, but seeking the limelight has simply been a way of reaching a wider audience to get them to their £500,000 target as quickly as is possible.

His radiotherapy finished in June and, despite suffering from constant nausea, tiredness and concentration problems, his only aim has been to protect his little girl.

Tom knows that he will not see Kelli grow up, so he put pen to paper to write his beloved girl a letter, giving her the advice and guidance that he will not get the chance to give her in person when she is older.

After 34 drafts, he tearfully finished his personal note, which covered everything from school to marriage, boys and learning to drive.

His wife will give Kelli the letter when she is older and the time is right.

Tom decided to write the letter when he suffered a particularly bad seizure last year and despite admitting that his 'time is running out', he says he has used such experiences to drive forward his goal of creating the fund for Kelli which will be available in the event of a relapse

Among the heartbreaking passages in the letter are: "I wish I had the words to make you feel better. I wish I didn't have cancer and you didn't have to see me in pain as you often do now. I wish so many things were different, but they are not.

"Most dads and daughters have decades to chat around the kitchen table, their hands warmed by mugs of coffee, as the dad dishes out advice and their girls no doubt roll their eyes. We don't have that time.

"I won't be able to drop you off on your first day at big school, pick you up after your first date, hold you when your heart hurts or cheer when you graduate.

"But while your old dad is still around, I thought I'd try to give you some life advice in one go.

"I hope it gives you some comfort. I hope cancer never returns so that your life is long, fulfilled and happy."

Joely says Kelli knows very little about the appeal, but is aware that money has been raised in case her cancer comes back.

"We told her that we have reached our target and she was happy and gave us both a hug," she said.

"But she is too young to really understand what this means."

The driving force was clear in Tom's letter and throughout the campaign – the joy Kelli has brought to his life.

And though the family inevitably have some tragic times ahead, they can be proud of their huge achievement in raising such a huge sum of money to help secure Kelli's future.