Listen back here to Matt’s interview with Gavin’s parents on The Last Word:
Gavin was diagnosed with cancer at just 17 months and has battled with the illness for almost three years.
His family were recently told that there are no more treatment options in Ireland.
Gavin’s last hope is to travel to Texas for the pioneering surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The Texas trip is Gavin’s last chance and his family are trying to raise the €350,000 that the treatment will cost.
Gavin’s Condition
Rhabdomyosarcoma, commonly referred to as RMS, is a relatively rare form of sarcoma, most commonly seen in children aged one to five years old.
Gavin’s mother found a lump while changing his nappy in October 2011. The first diagnosis was a haematoma but Crumlin A+E confirmed it was a tumour. Gavin travelled to Switzerland and Netherlands for treatments in 2012 and 2013.
This year his parents were told that the chemotherapy isn’t stopping the tumour – it’s becoming resistant.
Gavin's final hope is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) treatment, which is only available for children at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. HIPEC is an open surgery which would remove all of Gavin's tumours. Heated chemotherapy would then be inserted into Gavin's abdominal region and kill any microscopic cells that remain.
Gavin and his parents will travel to Houston on Monday to meet with the surgical team at MD Anderson and discuss treatment. They will have to be there for between six and eight weeks, which means leaving Gab siblings, Conor (8) and Lucy (6), behind in Ireland.
Cost:
The family need to raise €350,000 to send Gavin to Texas for HIPEC treatment. This initial meeting will cost Gavin's parents $25,000 and the surgery will be another $400,000.
‘Selfie’ Campaign
Users of social media are being urged to share a 'selfie' with their sons, nephews and other boys in their lives with the hashtag #MyBoy to raise awareness. Many have already gotten involved on Twitter by posting their selfie and a screenshot of their donation.
