NHS nurse must take her son, 3, abroad to save his life after a key treatment stopped in UK

NHS nurse must take her son, 3, abroad to save his life after a key treatment stopped in UK Despite being a dedicated nurse for years, Sarah Sloman, from south Wales, is upset with the NHS as treatment for her son's high-risk neuroblastoma cancer has been withdrawn An NHS children's nurse is appealing for public support as her three-year-old son needs life-saving treatment abroad. A key treatment for Teddy Sloman's high-risk neuroblastoma cancer has been withdrawn for NHS patients in the UK, which has left his family desperately seeking new options. His mum, Sarah, is hoping to raise £250,000 to give the three-year-old boy the best possible chance of overcoming the rare and aggressive childhood cancer.. Sarah, herself a paediatric nurse, said: "We're asking for your help to give him the very best chance of beating this for good. We simply cannot stand by knowing there is a treatment out there that could stop this disease returning and give our little boy the future he deserves. "We are fully aware it's not a magic wand and there are no guarantees, but it's our best chance of getting Teddy through this nightmare." Teddy was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in July last year after what initially appeared to be teething symptoms rapidly became more serious. He stopped eating and drinking, slept for unusually long periods, began vomiting, and Sarah later discovered a lump in his abdomen. Further tests confirmed the cancer had spread to his bone marrow. Teddy then underwent nine months of intensive treatment at Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff. Since his diagnosis, the three-year-old has endured chemotherapy, major surgery, stem cell harvesting, high-dose chemotherapy and proton beam therapy in London. Throughout his treatment, Sarah and her husband, Kramer, from Blackwood, south Wales, have remained by his side while Teddy's younger brother, Joey, has been cared for by relatives. Although Teddy has responded to treatment, his risk of the cancer returning remains high. Complications during his treatment reduced some of the protection he would normally have received, making maintenance therapy especially important. However, the treatment his family had been expecting is no longer available to NHS patients in the UK after it was withdrawn by its American manufacturer. Now, Sarah and Kramer are racing against time to secure the therapy elsewhere. Their preferred option is to purchase the drug directly from the manufacturer and administer it in the UK under the supervision of local specialists. If that is not possible, they may need to travel overseas, with treatment currently available at only three centres worldwide – two in the United States and one in Rome. Provided Teddy's upcoming scans show no active disease, his immunotherapy will end in September, and he will need to begin maintenance treatment shortly afterwards. The medication would need to be taken twice a day for two years to help reduce the risk of relapse. Sarah said the prospect of raising £250,000 in such a short period is overwhelming but essential. To donate to the appeal, visit this link.