Not all superheroes wear capes.
This is especially true in the case of Auryn Phelan, a six-year-old boy from Dublin who has been through what no child should ever have to go through. Auryn, a massive fan of the Avengers movies, is currently locked in a battle with the worst villain of our time, childhood cancer.
In 2019, when Auryn was just four-years-old, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Since his diagnosis, this little boy and his family have been through the unthinkable; 13 rounds of chemotherapy, two major surgeries, two stem cell transplants, 14 rounds of radiotherapy, multiple bone marrow aspirates, blood transfusions and more. In true superhero style, Auryn is responding well to treatment and he's nearing the end of his treatment at Crumlin Children's hospital.
But there's work to be done to ensure that this illness does not come back.
Stage 4 Neuroblastoma has an extremely high relapse rate which, devastatingly, results in low survival rates. There is hope though and his family are determined to do everything in their power to ensure that Auryn has the opportunity to live a normal life.
A clinical trial for a vaccine that helps prevent relapse in Neuroblastoma children is available in the Slone Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York. Crucially, it's important to note that this vaccine is not available in Ireland, the family have set up a
fundraising campaign to reach their goal of €375,000 by January 2021.
Speaking about the painful journey they've been on, Auryn's parents Barry and Trisha simply want to give their son a normal life:
"Auryn is a gorgeous, energetic, funny, lovable boy who just wants to be a child and do what children do. This cancer journey has impacted Auryn and our family so much and has taken such a toll on both Auryn's physical and mental wellbeing. We just want to give Auryn back a normal healthy childhood and put this journey behind both him and us for good."
The fundraising has surpassed the €100,000 mark which is a massive achievement, but there's more to do.
If you want to donate head over to
www.aurynsheroes.ie for all the info.
Let's help this little boy beat the villain once and for all.
