Mum’s joy as fundraising appeal to get Beau to the USA hits £317,000 target

Last night Beau’s mum Shirley announced that they had raised the money needed to get the five-year-old to the USA for life-saving treatment.

Beau was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer, in December 2020.

The money raised will allow Beau to access life-saving treatment at a pioneering trial in New York to prevent the cancer from returning.

The fundraising target was reached yesterday (Wednesday) following an interview on BBC News earlier in the week.

Shirley said: “Today (Wednesday) has been immense and now thanks to that final push after the BBC interview we have hit the target.

“Please do not be under any illusion that I do not realise that this is down to you.

“Thanks to your shares, effort, dedication and everything you have done I was able to sit on that BBC couch and it gave me the opportunity to share Beau’s story to the nation.”

Shirley’s aim was to collect £317,000 by April. However, because the target has been met early, she is still carrying on with the fundraiser to raise money for other children with neuroblastoma.

Shirley added: “On Christmas Eve I committed to raising money through Solving Kids Cancer to fund my child's treatment. I am committed to raising awareness about neuroblastoma and the work that Solving Kids Cancer are doing.

“I am still committed to this cause and will continue to run this campaign until the end of April as planned.

“All money raised additional will be managed by Solving Kids Cancer and will be used to fund other children's treatment and researching neuroblastoma.

“Let’s keep going - we have got Beau to sloan, let’s help other children get there too.

“Thank you.”

Following the news that the Get Beau to Sloan appeal reached its target last night, Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater said: "I'm over the moon that the fundraising target has been hit. People in the local community and far beyond have taken Beau to their hearts.

“Her courage and the strength and love of her mum, Shirley, and her big sister, Redd, have been truly inspirational.

“So many events have been planned with more to come, and I hope people will continue to support these because, as Shirley has said, this is not just about Beau, and any extra money raised will go towards helping all children with cancer get access to the treatment they need.

“The team at Solving Kids Cancer have been a tremendous support to Beau and her family and I've offered to do all I can to help highlight the hope that if the vaccine trial is a success it should be available on the NHS as soon as possible.

"The public response to Beau's appeal has really shown the power of community and I'm so proud of the way the people of Batley and Spen have come together to help."

Fundraising events will continue to take place until the end of April.

Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/beauscampaign