Izzy’s cancer fight inspires charity challenge

Because it led to her diagnosis with a rare form of childhood cancer - a cancer she has now beaten.

Little Isabelle, known as Izzy to her friends and family, is now back to full health and celebrating being cancer free for a year, because the neuroblastoma was spotted early.

And the treatment she received at Sheffield Children’s Hospital and Weston Park Hospital has inspired a fundraising challenge with a difference.

Her family and friends will collectively, run, walk, swim or ride 1,335 miles - five miles a day for each one of the 267 days that Izzy had treatment.

The challenge started on Sunday, two years to the day that Izzy was diagnosed, with a family friend completing the first mile on a zip-wire in Wales.

Mrs Touhey, of Ecclesfield, said: “Although Izzy was young when it happened, she still remembers it, but she doesn’t see herself as any different to any other little boy or girl.

“But the little things mean so much now, when you’ve been on the cusp of it not being there anymore. This is why we wanted to give something back.”

Izzy was just two years old when she was became diagnosed, after her GP referred her to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for a precautionary chest X-ray after she’d been taken ill by a virus in June 2012.

It revealed a walnut-sized tumour in her lung cavity, part of which was removed with surgery,

But a section was growing in between her vertebrae, and removing it all could have left her paralysed, so six courses of chemotherapy followed to destroy the cancer cells.

Radiotherapy was also needed, and the brave youngster even managed to undergo it without anaesthetic - every day for three weeks.

Mrs Touhey said: “She was the youngest patient at Weston Park to have her treatment without anaesthetic and she became a little star.

“All the staff brought her treats, and because it wasn’t painful she thought it was a game, so just got on with it.”

Izzy is now 18 months off-treatment but still has regular scans to ensure the cancer has not returned.

“She’s a normal little four year old, having swimming lessons, loving nursery and about to start school. She’s absolutely full of life and to look at her you would never know what she’d been through,” Mrs Touhey said.

Izzy’s family and friends will be raising money for the two hospitals until April next year. Her father Scott, 37, will be cycling and her grandparents will be walking from the family home in Ecclesfield to Weston Park Hospital.

Mrs Touhey, who will be running as part of the challenge, added: “The response has been brilliant so far. We wanted to do something that anyone could get involved with, whether it’s doing half a mile a day, or a bigger challenge.”

To get involved, or to donate, visit www.teamizzybigthankyou.blogspot.com