Over £10,000 raised for young girl with brain tumour's bucket list

The tumour is inside Laia's brain, on the brain stem, and with treatment she has between nine months and a year to live. Picture: SWNS

Lee Jenkins, 43, was left heartbroken after his little girl Laia was diagnosed with a brain tumour just four days after her birthday.

She had been struggling with her balance, walking into doors and walking on tiptoes, but her parents thought her behaviour might be psychological as she had been devastated by the death of her two pet rabbits.

But an MRI scan found she had a rare brain tumour called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), the second most common type of primary, high grade brain tumour in children.

Lee, 43, who set up the fundraiser page, with his daughter Willie, 12, mother Lorna, 39, and Laia Jenkins. Picture: SWNS

The tumour is inside Laia's brain, on the brain stem, and with treatment she has between nine months and a year to live.

To try and make most of her precious time remaining, a family friend set up a fundraiser promising to hit the target for Laia's 'bucket list' which includes trips to Disney World and riding a pony.

Laia's parents asked their daughter: "If you could go anywhere or do anything what would it be?" to which she replied: "Visit America and ride a pony".

More than 400 people, many of them who the family have never met, put their hands in their pockets to help by raising the donation total from £2,000 to nearly £11,000.

"Unbelievable support"

Lee, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, said: "It's amazing, I honestly can't believe it.

"I don't know how to put into words how much I appreciate what people have done for us.

"They have made us hopeful and that has been passed on to Laia - it's had such a good impact already.

"We're all feeling very positive."

The fundraiser has smashed past £10,000 and Lee has praised the 'unbelievable' support.

He added: "Not only the donations but we've had lots of offers from people to do things - like to get Laia to ride a pony and things like that.

"We've had a lot of messages of support.

"Away from the fundraiser Laia has had a really good day, she's been in good spirits and had a great night last night - so that's great.

"It's just great that people are talking about it."

Panic, anger and helplessness

After Laia had problems with her balance, the schoolgirl was taken to Wishaw General Hospital by her parents Lee and Lorna, 39, at the end of August.

Medics thought she probably had an ear infection and recommended taking her to the GP.

Laia celebrated her seventh birthday on September 6, with a party in the garden of the family's home and she was given a 'saucer' swing - which she has never had the chance to use.

But only four days later, when her condition had deteriorated rapidly, she was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where an MRI scan showed she had a high-grade brain tumour.

Laia, who was diagnosed with the brain tumour on September 10, begins radiotherapy on October 1.

Radiotherapy treatment should shrink the tumour, reducing the symptoms, but will not save the little girl.

Lee said: "We are still trying to come to terms with it, trying to understand it, watching our wee lassie getting worse.

"After the radiotherapy, she might get better for a while as well.

"We've been told with treatment it will be about 12 months, without treatment it will be between three to six months.

"We've been through panic, anger and helplessness.

"We went to the GP, I thought it was psychological.

"One rabbit had died, then the other died, so we thought she was missing her rabbits.

"She didn't seem herself.

"We had a party for her in the garden, she got a saucer swing for her birthday but she's not been able to use it.

"The party feels like a lifetime ago."

The bucket list trip to Disney World in America is so Laia and her siblings Ellie, 12, Chloe, 21, and Shannon, 23, can have a holiday together.

To donate, visit Laia's crowdfunding page