A family of a seven year old boy who is fighting cancer are desperate to try an experimental treatment in America after running out of options avaliable in England.
Ammaar Dadlani has had a rough 16-months since his diagnosis with a rare bone cancer in June 2018 which came as a was a shock to the entire family, as they only found out about it after he fell during his grandparent’s anniversary and injured his knee. His parents, Ritesh and Naheed said he “was in excruciating pain” the days after, so he was rushed to Mount Vernon Hospital in Hillingdon to get an x-ray scan, wheredoctors detected a 9.6cm tumour in his left leg and was later diagnosed with a high grade osteoblastic osteosarcoma.
Ammaar, the youngest of the family, has been scarred for life after 17cm of infected bone was removed from his leg and replaced with a metal ‘bone’.
In February last year, after having received 18 rounds of chemotherapy, the family celebrated the news that Ammaar was cleared from cancer but was short lived when his mother Naheed spotted a small lump on his collarbone a few months later.
After more treatment and operations doctors realised that with the appearance of more tumours they needed a change of plan if the family were to save Ammaar.
Mr and Mrs Dadlani were pleased to hear from another parent in a similar situation, that there is an experimental trial in the USA which could be of help.
The family which includes Ammaar’s two older brothers, will have to travel to America and pay $450,000 for the phase one CAR-T cell immunotherapy.
Due to the high expense of the surgery, the family started a GoFundMe page around the Christmas period, which has seen incredible support from family, friends and others concerned.
The Dadlani family believe Ammaar is responding well to his current chemotherapy sessions and hope to try the experimental treatment around April.
Speaking to the Harrow Times Mrs Dadlani said: “Cancer is like a dandelion, just touch it and it spreads. I think the doctors didn’t take the lump seriously, they said it was unlikely to return. The UK and NHS have been fabulous for first line treatment, but what we lack behind from the US is trial clinical therapies.”
