THE family of Dilton Marsh’s Alexander Vinson need to remain strong and take each day as it comes in his battle against a rare brain tumour, according to a mother whose own daughter had the deadly disease.

Katherine Bevan’s daughter, Freya, was diagnosed with PNET – Primitive neuroectodermal tumor – in April last year but received proton beam therapy in the US after their application was also rejected by the NHS and her family managed to raise £110,000.

Seven months after the life-saving treatment and with support from children’s charity Kids ‘n’ Cancer, the three-year-old is leading a normal life, attending school and undergoing checks every few months.

“They’ve got to keep strong, not fall apart and I’m sure they will get there,” said Mrs Bevan, 43, who lives in Neath, Wales, with her husband, John-Paul, daughter, Olivia, and son, William.

“I’ve not spoken with the family directly but I’ve spoken with a friend of theirs and they need to get the community behind him and get as much publicity as possible.

“Like Alexander, Freya’s cancer wasn’t on the NHS’s list so we had to raise the money to get the proton beam therapy in America where PNET is top of the list, which I was outraged about because the NHS don’t even have it on their list.

“We had a feeling we would be turned down so we started fundraising as soon as we could and I can’t praise proton beam therapy enough.

“It was horrendous when we found out she had cancer, it felt like a death sentence.

“When we raised the money we even rang the NHS panel and offered them the money to send us out to America but they still said no.

“It wasn’t until we got in touch with Kids ‘n’ Cancer that we were on a plane in a matter of days."

Two-year-old Alexander was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) in July this year, and underwent two eight-hour operations to have 80 per cent of the tumour removed.

He has since undergone chemotherapy sessions and his family are looking to raise £150,000 so he can receive proton beam therapy in the USA after the NHS rejected their application.

The Wiltshire Times has offered its support to Alexander and his family in their attempt to get treatment in the US, with Kids ‘n’ Cancer setting up a JustGiving page for people to send in donations.

The Alexander Appeal has so far managed to raise £22,897.68.

To make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/actionforalexander/ or send cheques to Kids ‘n’ Cancer at Bridge Business Centre, Beresford Way, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 9FG. Cheques should include a note on the back stating it is for the ‘Alexander Appeal’.