Luna Flies To US For Tumour Treatment

30 July 2011, 06:00

The family of a 4 year old girl from Watford are flying to America today so she can begin life-saving treatment for a rare brain tumour.

Luna Petagine suffers from Ependymoma - a cancer that attacks the central nervous system.

Having undergone five operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital, doctors in the UK said there was nothing more they can do.

But her mum Lucy Petagine and dad Mario have been given a glimmer of hope - a pioneering treatment at the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas could slow down the tumour and eventually kill it off.

Mum Lucy says: ''It could cure her,that is the aim. It's not just to try and prolong her life, it is to cure her. There's nothing in this country that can cure her, there might be drugs that might make her live slightly longer, but there's no cure.''

The couple have been told of one other girl in the UK who is receiving the treatment and appears to be doing well.

Today (Saturday July 30th) Luna and her family are flying almost 5,000 miles so she begin treatment after £100,00 was raised in just 7 weeks. Luna will be assessed there for five days and then, if all goes well, she will start the drug treatment immediately.

The whole family will be in the States for a few months. Once the initial stage of the treatment is over the family will then come back to Watford and the drugs Luna need to take will be sent over from America.

Luna’s mum Lucy is overwhelmed with the support:

“This has meant so much to us because it gives Luna some small hope for the future. Mario and I cannot thank everyone enough for what they did.”

To follow Luna’s story head to www.lunapetagine.co.uk