Update On Karis
Donation protected
It is with our deepest sadness that we post this update on our beautiful Karis. On Friday 21st September 2018, Karis passed away after loosing her fight with cancer!
Karis was brave, strong and full of courage right to the end.
For all of the wonderful people who helped Karis have the best few months of her life, the details of her funeral & burial (celebration of her life) are below:
Tuesday 9th October
9.15am - From her home - 79 Hawkesbury Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0EY
or 10am at Bowers Gifford Cemetery, Essex, SS13 2HG
Following on, we are celebrating Karis life at Chapman Sands Sailing Club, Eastern Esplanade, Canvey Island,
SS8 7PQ, where everyone is welcome!
Please feel free to wear a hint of red, touch of pink or any bright colours to celebrate her beautiful bright personality xxx
We write this update today so that we can keep all the beautiful people who have helped our darling Karis in so many ways what the current situation is!
We are in a position where we have no choice but to accept that the tumours are in a highly progressive stage and growing at a very fast rate. Karis is currently on steroids to try and ease the swelling the tumour is causing, which we have been informed is at a size of 8x8cm!
As you may well guess, Karis is very very poorly at the moment and will only continue to get worse.
Having said all of the above, due to everybody's kind donations, financial, peoples time and beyond, she has been able to make so many memories with her family and friends. To include:
Her very own new bedroom
Dad Steve has been able to have time off work & spend precious time with Karis
A newly installed garden, levelled with AstroTurf for easy access
A beautiful family trip to Disney Land Paris
Personal video sent to Karis from a Disney Princess
Day trips to Marsh Farm
A Princess Party
A trip to the thearter
A holiday in Butlins
Indee Rose Caravan Holiday
Beach days out and so much more! True lasting memories.
None of this would have ever been possible if all of you wonderful people and charities hadn't of helped. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and will be eternally grateful.
As this time is very difficult, painful and time consuming, the family would respectfully ask to check for updates here rather than contact them directly. As you can appreciate, talking about the situation is very upsetting and would always feel obliged to respond.
I would like to thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts xxx
Karis Story
On the 6th March 2018, after having a Craniotomy Biopsy we were told the heartbreaking news we hoped we would never hear. After 10 years of fighting and hoping and the thought she had beat her first brain tumour, Karis has in fact been diagnosed with terminal Glioblastoma Multiform (GBM) where we have been told that the average life expectancy is 6 months. The only treatment that has been offered is Chemotherapy Temozolomide oral tablets with the hope of slowing down this vicious, aggressive growing brain tumour (Grade 4).
Our beautiful, strong and courageous girl Karis is the bravest most accepting child I know. With everything her hard life has thrown at her, she still smiles and lives each day as you would expect any child to. Just the other day, she shouted out and said "my eyes are shutting mum, I'm tired" and I responded with "then close them darling" only for her to make us both laugh by saying "but I'm on the toilet mum". Her personality is priceless!
From birth Karis has had numerous severe bowel and stomach complications resulting in her having an operation at 12 hours old and another at two weeks old to reform her bowel, resulting in her first 7 months of her life being in hospital. We thought we was on the road to recovery when we was given the devastating news that Karis had a Aggressive Malignant Brain Tumour called an Supratentorial Primitive Neuro Ectodermal (spnet) which was diagnosed in March 2011 after Karis had an hour and twenty minutes epileptic seizure in August 2010, then had continuous seizures every day leading up to her diagnosis . She had an operation to remove the tumour in April 2011 and High Dose Chemotherapy, Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest, Twice Daily Hyperfractionated Craniospinal Radiotherapy (under GA twice a day) for just over five weeks and a year of maintenance Chemotherapy. After this severe treatment, Karis received 5 years of MRI results with "no evidence of occurrence" however from the last MRI scan in January 2018, the results show that a new tumour has emerged.
We are fund raising for the following, any donation however big or small would be dearly appreciated:
- Alternative Treatment (potentially available outside of the UK only)
- Salary Loss
- Holiday (making lasting memories)
- Days Out
- Family Activities
- Day-to-day funds (household expenses etc)
All of the above will help Karis' last days as fun, enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
For updates on Karis' progress, please visit https://fightingforkaris.wordpress.com
Karis was brave, strong and full of courage right to the end.
For all of the wonderful people who helped Karis have the best few months of her life, the details of her funeral & burial (celebration of her life) are below:
Tuesday 9th October
9.15am - From her home - 79 Hawkesbury Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0EY
or 10am at Bowers Gifford Cemetery, Essex, SS13 2HG
Following on, we are celebrating Karis life at Chapman Sands Sailing Club, Eastern Esplanade, Canvey Island,
SS8 7PQ, where everyone is welcome!
Please feel free to wear a hint of red, touch of pink or any bright colours to celebrate her beautiful bright personality xxx
We write this update today so that we can keep all the beautiful people who have helped our darling Karis in so many ways what the current situation is!
We are in a position where we have no choice but to accept that the tumours are in a highly progressive stage and growing at a very fast rate. Karis is currently on steroids to try and ease the swelling the tumour is causing, which we have been informed is at a size of 8x8cm!
As you may well guess, Karis is very very poorly at the moment and will only continue to get worse.
Having said all of the above, due to everybody's kind donations, financial, peoples time and beyond, she has been able to make so many memories with her family and friends. To include:
Her very own new bedroom
Dad Steve has been able to have time off work & spend precious time with Karis
A newly installed garden, levelled with AstroTurf for easy access
A beautiful family trip to Disney Land Paris
Personal video sent to Karis from a Disney Princess
Day trips to Marsh Farm
A Princess Party
A trip to the thearter
A holiday in Butlins
Indee Rose Caravan Holiday
Beach days out and so much more! True lasting memories.
None of this would have ever been possible if all of you wonderful people and charities hadn't of helped. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and will be eternally grateful.
As this time is very difficult, painful and time consuming, the family would respectfully ask to check for updates here rather than contact them directly. As you can appreciate, talking about the situation is very upsetting and would always feel obliged to respond.
I would like to thank you all again from the bottom of our hearts xxx
Karis Story
On the 6th March 2018, after having a Craniotomy Biopsy we were told the heartbreaking news we hoped we would never hear. After 10 years of fighting and hoping and the thought she had beat her first brain tumour, Karis has in fact been diagnosed with terminal Glioblastoma Multiform (GBM) where we have been told that the average life expectancy is 6 months. The only treatment that has been offered is Chemotherapy Temozolomide oral tablets with the hope of slowing down this vicious, aggressive growing brain tumour (Grade 4).
Our beautiful, strong and courageous girl Karis is the bravest most accepting child I know. With everything her hard life has thrown at her, she still smiles and lives each day as you would expect any child to. Just the other day, she shouted out and said "my eyes are shutting mum, I'm tired" and I responded with "then close them darling" only for her to make us both laugh by saying "but I'm on the toilet mum". Her personality is priceless!
From birth Karis has had numerous severe bowel and stomach complications resulting in her having an operation at 12 hours old and another at two weeks old to reform her bowel, resulting in her first 7 months of her life being in hospital. We thought we was on the road to recovery when we was given the devastating news that Karis had a Aggressive Malignant Brain Tumour called an Supratentorial Primitive Neuro Ectodermal (spnet) which was diagnosed in March 2011 after Karis had an hour and twenty minutes epileptic seizure in August 2010, then had continuous seizures every day leading up to her diagnosis . She had an operation to remove the tumour in April 2011 and High Dose Chemotherapy, Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Harvest, Twice Daily Hyperfractionated Craniospinal Radiotherapy (under GA twice a day) for just over five weeks and a year of maintenance Chemotherapy. After this severe treatment, Karis received 5 years of MRI results with "no evidence of occurrence" however from the last MRI scan in January 2018, the results show that a new tumour has emerged.
We are fund raising for the following, any donation however big or small would be dearly appreciated:
- Alternative Treatment (potentially available outside of the UK only)
- Salary Loss
- Holiday (making lasting memories)
- Days Out
- Family Activities
- Day-to-day funds (household expenses etc)
All of the above will help Karis' last days as fun, enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
For updates on Karis' progress, please visit https://fightingforkaris.wordpress.com
Organizer
Angela McMonagle
Organizer
