Parents plea for money to help daughter with brain tumour

Desperate parents are trying to raise £10,000 in three weeks to be able to accompany their daughter to the USA for life saving treatment.
Isabel aged nine and 22Isabel aged nine and 22
Isabel aged nine and 22

The treatment in Flordia is being funded by the NHS and will hope to cure 22-year-old Isabel Watson’s brain tumour.

But parents Zoe and David Watson, from ­Castle Road, Bedford still need to raise money to help with flight and accommodation bills.

Zoe, 51, said: “Izzy was nine when she was diagnosed with her brain tumour and went through two operations to try and remove it.

“They couldn’t remove it all, so they treated the rest with radiotherapy.

“When Izzy was 16, her tumour re-grew and she had to have more brain surgery, but suffered a stroke in the operation and was left with paralysis down the right side of her body.”

After learning to read and write again, Isabel was determined to carry on with her life, and started part-time school again in January 2011.

Isabel qualified to be enrolled on a BA Hons degree in Primary Education at the University of Bedford after sucessfully completing her A-Levels in 2013.

However earlier this year it was discovered by doctors that Isabel has developed a second brain tumour, just behind her ear, caused by the radiotherapy she had when she was nine-years-old.

On August 18, Isabel was accepted to receive Proton Beam Therapy, which is due to start as soon as possible and will be based in America.

Proton Beam Therapy is a newly developed type of radiotherapy which uses protons rather than high energy gamma rays and will cost the NHS £100,000.

Zoe works part-time as a finance assistant at King’s Arms Church and husband David has recently taken on a second job working at a local cycling shop as well as working at a school.

Zoe added: “Between us we don’t have enough money to get me and Isabel to America for her treatment.

“We have two more daughters, Ruth and Martha, who are younger than Izzy, and David is going to stay in Bedford with them.

“Thank God for the opportunity for Isabel to have this treatment, our main concern now it raising the money.

“The whole thing was such a quick process and out of the blue because we really weren’t optimistic about getting the treatment at all.

“We’re excited and scared and we don’t dare look at Isabel’s future prospects because so much isn’t known, but it’s all we have.”

£2,355 of the £10,000 needed has been raised in just four days, on a GoFundMe page set up by Isabel’s cousin, Amy.

To donate to the Watson’s flight and accommodation bills, visit: www.gofundme.com/2kec624

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