Charlie home again after more treatment

A BOY whose cancer is feared to have returned for a third time has completed his first course of new treatment.

Charlie Ilsley, 12, of Buckingham Drive, Emmer Green, was given the all-clear for the second time in August but his mother Toni was told last month that the cancer looks to have returned to his spine.

She says he cannot have any more chemotherapy as he had months of intense treatment in Turkey and his body couldn’t take anymore.

Mrs Ilsley and her son flew to Cologne last week where Charlie underwent a different kind of treatment in the hope of saving his life.

The treatment, called dendritic immunotherapy, should programme his body to identify and fight cancer cells and Charlie will have three sessions.  His mother says it is his last chance to beat the disease.

They returned home after Charlie was given a vaccine that is tailored to his body and should make his immune system recognise the cancer cells and attack them.

When he wasn’t having treatment Charlie enjoyed trips to the German markets and went ice skating, swimming and sightseeing.

He will return to Cologne on January 7 for a second course. The treatment costs £60,000 and the family managed to raise more than £40,000 in just days before flying to Germany.