Hassocks boy's cancer treatment fund reaches £200k

The mother of a four-year-old boy from West Sussex said it was "really exciting" to have raised £200,000 for potentially life-saving cancer treatment.

Teddy Lichten, from Hassocks, was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in July 2022, an aggressive childhood cancer.

He was given a 40% chance of surviving until his eighth birthday.

In February, his parents launched a £300,000 fundraising appeal.

They hope the money raised will fund a potentially life-saving cancer vaccine in New York.

Kat Lichten, 34, said it felt "amazing" to have raised £200,000 "because we set out to raise a huge amount of money and it seemed like a really impossible task at the time".

She said: "It really starts to feel like we're definitely going to reach our target and get Teddy access to the treatment that we want him to have, so that's really exciting."

Teddy has had two stem-cell transplants, and, if the target is reached, he could receive treatment in New York.

Teddy started his first day at school on Monday.

Ms Lichten said: "That was a lovely little moment that just felt like we were having one of those normal moments that normal families have.

"There's so many experiences that he's missed out on so for him to be able to start school was really special for us."

After undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy and other treatments, he began six months of immunotherapy and is due to finish frontline treatment at the start of 2024.

Ms Lichten said: "What we hope is that we'll get Teddy into remission here in the UK on his frontline cancer treatment plan and then access maintenance treatment abroad."

The £300,000 target would pay for the family to take eight trips to America over three years.

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