A TEENAGER who flew out to New York in the hope of receiving groundbreaking treatment against a rare form of cancer has been given the go-ahead to take part in the trial.
13-year-old Robyn Smyth from Dublin has been fighting an aggressive form of neuroblastoma for the past decade and has already undergone extensive treatment for the condition.
Robyn was accepted onto a trial treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York several months ago but initially struggled to raise the funds required to go ahead with the treatment.
However, renewed efforts led by the likes of Erin McGregor, the sister of Conor McGregor, helped raise the necessary €326,000 for the treatment.
Robyn flew out to New York with her mum, Bernadette, earlier this month hoping to take part in the trial.
But even then she had to undergo a slew of medical tests to determine whether she was well enough to be put on the vaccine.
Sarah Slater at The Irish Examiner has now confirmed that Robyn has been given the go-ahead to start treatment after receiving the news later on Thursday night.
The confirmation came after Robyn’s PET scan, which is used to highlight any trouble areas in the body caused by the disease, offered up positive results.
Robyn SmythAs a result, the brave teenager will become the first Irish person to receiving the groundbreaking vaccine.
Three years ago, Robyn was given a 5% chance of survival by doctors. On August 25th she will celebrate her 14th birthday.
Since arriving in New York, Robyn and her mother have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House, an organisation which provides free accommodation for families with seriously ill children receiving medical treatment.
Despite the massive outpouring, Robyn and her mother Bernadette are still in need of financial aid to help cover her treatment, flights and other costs accrued.
Donations can be made to [email protected], idonate.ie/robynslife and gofundme.com/robynslife
