Shannon Hunter

I'm fundraising for Elsie

In April, I am taking part in Run2Cure Neuroblastoma. Run2Cure is a charity fun run and raises funds for the aggressive childhood cancer neuroblastoma. 

In 2024, a very close friend faced a parents worst nightmare with her daughter who was just 6 months old. I have had permission to share her story below.

At 6 months old we presented Elsie to ED with a distended stomach and vomiting. She hadn’t been herself off and on for a few weeks with temps and weird bowel movements etc, we thought she just had a virus and it will pass. That night was horrific to say the least, she was clearly uncomfortable and refused feeds, we took her to ED early morning. Elsie had a nasal gastric tube inserted and x-rays, at the time, they suspected she had a twisted bowel and we were taken via ambulance to Canberra hospital where we were met by surgeons. Long story short, the next day we were told they had found a large mass in her pelvis and lesions in her liver,  we were told that it was very unlikely they would be benign. Everything from then  on happened extremely quickly! We were rushed to Sydney Children’s Hospital and the on call oncology team met us in ED. It’s been a long road, Elsie has undergone 6 rounds of chemotherapy, endless scans, pokes and prods and is waiting for surgery to remove her primary tumour. 

Cancer research has meant that Elsie has been exposed to less chemotherapy and less invasive procedures. 

To support Elsie, I will be participating in Run2Cure and all donations go to high risk neuroblastoma research. If you’re in a position to do so, I’d be beyond grateful for any donations big or small, or sharing our donations page. This research saves children’s lives, including Elsies.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer affecting young children with the average age being just 2 years of age and survival rates for aggressive neuroblastoma being just 1 in 2.