Courageous Faye fronts poster campaign to help others like her survive cancer
A Liverpool schoolgirl who had a tumour the size of a melon under her pelvis is the face of a nationwide campaign to help save the lives of more youngsters like her.
Seven-year-old Faye Boyle stars in a fundraising appeal for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People that features behind the till point in over 500 of the charity’s shops including her local store in Widnes.
Pictured smiling from her hospital bed and on her first day back at school following months of treatment, Faye’s inspirational poster carries a powerful message of hope: “Research makes moments like this possible.”
Faye’s parents, Bex, 34, and Dan, 36, understand this all too well and are supporting the campaign to help drive donations to fund more life-saving breakthroughs after Faye benefitted from a Cancer Research UK clinical trial.
At the beginning of 2023 Faye’s family was all packed for a trip away but ended up in hospital for three months, after receiving a phone call from school to say Faye was unwell.
Initially, she had complained about a persistent pain in her leg and had been referred to paediatrics during the February half term but soon after, the pain progressed to her stomach, and she was rushed to A&E.
It was there where doctors discovered a 23cm tumour hidden under her pelvis. Faye was just five years old at the time.
Faye was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma – a type of soft tissue cancer and admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where she began intensive chemotherapy three days later.
She underwent a 10-hour operation, where surgeons removed part of the tumour. But then Faye faced a setback when she developed sepsis and required life-saving surgery, before she could be enrolled onto a clinical trial to target the rest of the growth.
Bex, also mum to three-year-old Connie, said: “We were due to go on a trip away and the car was packed ready to go, but I got a call to go to pick Faye up from school due to the tummy pains she’d been getting. So instead of going away, we took her to hospital – and we stayed there for three months. Myself and Dan took it in turns to stay at the hospital and we didn’t see much of Connie. Life just got turned upside down completely.”
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool is one of many centres across the UK taking part in groundbreaking clinical trials coordinated by Cancer Research UK’s dedicated clinical trial unit for children’s cancers. These trials make innovative new treatments available to children and young people with cancer in the city and across the UK. One of the trials is working to improve survival for patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, like Faye.
As part of the trial Faye received a new type of radiotherapy called proton beam therapy that uses a beam of high energy protons to precisely target a tumour, reducing the damage to surrounding healthy tissues and vital organs.
Despite all she faced during her treatment Faye was able raise £9,000 for the ward that took care of her by making and selling ‘fairy potions’ from her hospital bed.
Last September Faye rang the bell to signal the end of 18-months of treatment and now she will be monitored regularly for the next five years.
Bex added: “Faye kept us going throughout - she has faced some exceptionally low and scary moments and challenges with sickness, nutrition and mental health, but she has done so well. It was hard on us all as a family, especially for her sister Connie too.
“We wanted Faye to be involved in the poster campaign because I think it’s a fantastic way of sharing her experience in a positive way. One of the things that’s helped us as a family is by taking every opportunity to turn a negative into a positive, so putting her forward is a way of showing Faye as the star she is, but also putting that positive spin on what has been a horrific couple of years.
“We are so proud that she is starring in this important campaign that highlights how Cancer Research UK’s work is making more moments possible for families like ours. It’s thanks to research Faye was able to go back to school with her friends and it’s been wonderful to get back to life as a family. That’s why raising money for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People is so vital to help others like her in the future. Knowing Faye’s story could make a difference to others like her means so much to us. So, we’re urging shoppers to give what they can to help more families enjoy more precious moments together.”
In the North West NHS region around 400 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer every year.*
Research is helping to improve survival. Today, more than 8 in 10 children and young people diagnosed with cancer in the UK will survive for at least 10 years.** But, despite huge progress, too many young lives are still lost to this devastating disease.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson the North West, Jemma Humphreys said: “Cancer is different in children and young people - from the types of cancer that affect under 25s to the long-term effects of treatment such as hearing loss and infertility. So, it needs different and dedicated research that we’re grateful to our customers and supporters across the region for helping to fund.
“Their generosity is enabling our scientists to unlock discoveries about these cancers and translate them into new and less toxic ways to treat children and young people. So, we hope Faye’s story will inspire more people to get behind our mission to ensure more youngsters can live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.”
Donate in-store or online at cruk.org/childrenandyoungpeople