Mother of boy fighting cancer releases book about their challenges

THE mother of a boy who is fighting cancer for a third time has released a book about their experience.

Toni Ilsley has written Never Give Up, which tells the story of her son Charlie’s fight against the disease and her search for treatment.

She started writing the book last year while in Turkey where the 13-year-old was having treatment.

Mrs Ilsley, of Buckingham Drive, Emmer Green, used an online programme to help with the book’s layout. It is 52 pages long and includes pictures.

She said: “It’s just the story of us and what we’ve been through. It’s a true story about cancer and Charlie and I hope it does help someone else as it helped me.”

Charlie, a pupil at Highdown School in Emmer Green, had his third and final session of cutting-edge treatment in Mexico City on Tuesday before he, his mother and father Mark fly home today (Friday).

His latest scan showed a 1.5mm tumour in his cerebellum.

The only consolation was the doctors saying it had grown very slowly rather than aggressively. Charlie currently has no symptoms.

Mrs Ilsley said the family had enjoyed fine weather in Mexico and added: “The hotel got Charlie a remote control boat so he was playing with it on days off from treatment.”

Following his original diagnosis in 2015, Charlie underwent a 10-hour operation and had 31 sessions of radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy before being given the all clear.

Then in spring 2018 two tumours were discovered on his spine.

He was given the all-clear for a second time in August last year after undergoing specialist radiation treatment in Turkey which his family had to raise the money to pay for. In November they were told the disease had returned after a lumbar puncture showed cancer cells in his spinal fluid.

Earlier this year, the Ilsleys were told that the chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment that Charlie underwent had failed.

He then had three weeks of CAR-T cell treatment, a form of immunotherapy, in Mexico in July, which cost £25,000.

The family still need to raise more than £10,000 to help pay for flights, accommodation, treatment and Charlie’s hospital stay.

To make a donation, visit http://www.justgiving.com/
crowdfunding/teamcharlie2020

To buy a copy of Never Give Up, visit https://amzn.to/35yPmbo

Mrs Ilsley also plans to have copies available at Artisans Handmade UK in the Oracle centre in Reading and at the Caversham Emporium in Church Street as well as Tesco in Henley and Binfield Heath Post Office and Stores.