von Big John » Mi 18. Jan 2012, 11:20
Brave Vanessa meets her Celtic heroes at Lennoxtown
By: Mark Henderson on 17 Jan, 2012 16:10
CELTIC’S first-team squad and coaching staff were delighted to welcome a special visitor at Lennoxtown this afternoon.
Brave Vanessa Riddle was diagnosed in February 2008 with Neuroblastoma, a very rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer, which is difficult to treat and affects fewer than 100 children in the UK.
Since that day, the 11-year-old has endured many different and painful treatments at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital.
These have included 12 rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, two seven-hour operations, the removal of one her kidneys, a stem cell transplant, radiotherapy, retinoic acid treatment and immunotherapy.
After being given the all-clear in August 2010, routine scans last month revealed that Vanessa had relapsed. Doctors gave the Troon youngster’s chances of survival at ‘much less than 10 per cent’, devastating news for her and her parents, Connie and Chris.
With no treatment available in the UK, their only remaining option was to head to the United States. At a cost of £500,000, though, it was something they simply couldn’t afford.
So they started an online appeal which has swiftly gathered momentum, with Vanessa’s story capturing the hearts and minds of the Celtic family and beyond.
Taking a much-needed break from her treatment and relentless fundraising efforts, Vanessa and her parents spent several hours at Celtic’s Training Centre in Lennoxtown, meeting the players and the management team.
Vanessa’s dad Chris said: “She was really excited about it and has really enjoyed it. This week has been quite tough. She had chemo last week and wasn’t feeling too great, and in a couple of weeks she will get more.
“So she was feeling a lot better this week and you go through phases like that. It’s a bit like a rollercoaster ride.
“But, with feeling good and being invited along today, she was cock-a-hoop. She thinks it’s absolutely brilliant – and so do we! It was quite a surreal experience."
Neil Lennon, who gave them a personal tour of the training facility, was moved after meeting the youngster and keen to lend the club’s support to their cause.
The manager said: “It was a privilege to welcome Vanessa and her family to Lennoxtown today, and we hope it brought some respite to her at a very difficult and challenging time.
“It was very humbling to meet Vanessa, and the players and I can only admire her bravery in how she has battled against this terrible illness.
“We can only imagine what Vanessa and her family have had to deal with and the resilience they have shown. She’s shown tremendous courage and is an example to us all.
“We would urge everyone to get right behind Vanessa’s appeal and support her in any way possible, so that she can get the treatment she needs.”
In the past seven days, an incredible £100,000 has been donated to the appeal, and even those who can’t provide financial help can get involved.
Chris added: “To get the treatment in America you need lots of money so we had to give it a go – you can’t sit back and not do anything.
“The general public have been superb. It seems like the whole of Scotland - everyone I talk to - has heard about it.
“We´re looking for anyone to help. If people want to get involved in fundraising efforts, they should contact me directly or the charity, even if they want to offer any other services. We have had people who have got in touch wanting to organise events for us, and we have two events already set up.
"So we´re looking for any help or assistance at all. It doesn’t have to be financial, even if they want to give out posters or pin them up. If they want to donate they can go to our JustGiving page and there is a text appeal."
That was Brother Walfrid's dream
