Mother pays tribute to 'amazing' two-year-old daughter as she battles rare type of cancer

Clare Jones from Kingswinford has said her daughter Gracie Tudor continues to fight as she undergoes chemotherapy for neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children.

It develops from specialised nerve cells left behind from a baby's development in the womb and can spread to other organs, such as the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin.

Ms Jones said the two-year-old had been diagnosed with a tumour on March 18 at Russell's Hall Hospital and had been officially diagnosed with neuroblastoma two weeks ago, with the cancer having spread to her bones recently.

She said that despite everything she had been through, including a tumour growing inside her, Gracie was strong and fun loving and amazing everyone around her with her family dealing with it as best as they could.

She said: "We found out about the tumour on Mother's Day and the only reason she had started chemo was because the tumour had grown from seven by seven centimetres to 15 by 10 in five days, so that was a shock.

"As a family, we are so positive and while it is so upsetting and heartbreaking, we know that she is still here, so we have hope.

"She's been amazing, running around and playing and the nurses just idolise her as she is such a funny character and so strong, even with things like the feeding tube and the nurses giving her her medication."

Ms Jones said she and her husband Stephen had had to give up work for the time being, Clare at Number 7 in Boots in Merry Hill and Stephen as a Steel salesman, and both were being supported by their parents while they cared for Gracie, although Ms Jones said she was hoping to go back to work soon.

There has also been a widespread reaction to Gracie's plight, with a Just Giving page set up to raise funds to send her to New York for specialist treatment not available in the UK.

Ms Jones said that the whole cost would be around £300,000 and said she has been overwhelmed with the funds already raised, currently standing at £40,682, and the response from the public.

She said: "I have been so overwhelmed with the response by everyone, particularly my work colleagues who set up the page for what was originally to take her on a day out to Disney, but as we've got the news that it's high risk, the aim has changed.

"What I would say about this is that we need more awareness of this type of cancer as I thought she was a happy and healthy child and, if I am honest, we need the vaccine here.

"We need it over here and the money will save her life and that's the truth of it."

To find out more about Gracie and to make a donation, go to gofundme.com/f/gracies-treatment-in-america