The family of four-year-old Flora Gentleman, who has been undergoing vaccine trials in New York, have been left "devastated" after a recent scan showed her cancer had returned.
Flora, from Aberlady, was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma, which attacks the body's nerve cells, in 2021.
People from throughout East Lothian and beyond joined forces to organise a series of fundraising events in aid of Flora to help enrol her on a vaccine trial in New York to help prevent the disease's return after she had been in remission.
Through collective fundraising, more than £300,000 was raised to put her on the USA trial which would see her receive 10 vaccines, beginning last September.
READ MORE: Flora, three, flies to New York for special cancer treatment
Flora was set to fly out to New York for her seventh vaccine this week, but a routine scan at Edinburgh Sick Kids Hospital unfortunately found that her cancer had returned.
Stephanie Kent, Flora’s mum, said: “We are absolutely devastated to share that Flora’s most recent scans have revealed she has relapsed.
“It’s hard to process why this is happening. Of course, we knew this was a possibility but it’s taken everyone by surprise. Flora had a great response to her frontline treatment, and her team felt reassured she would be one of the 'lucky' ones.
“Even then, we wanted to throw everything at this disease and, with your help, enrolled her in a very promising clinical trial in New York. We’d like to think that the New York vaccine may have slowed the progression down, but we will never know.
"The one thing it has done, is allowed us to catch this relapse sooner as Flora was required to have a more regular scanning schedule whilst on the trial.”
Flora will undergo a mixture of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in Edinburgh this week with her vaccine trial now stopped.
The trial is only available for those showing no signs of disease and who are in remission. But Stephanie said the family remain hopeful of getting her back on the trial should the treatment at home be successful.
She told the Courier: “Unfortunately her vaccines will stop now. But we are expecting about six months of treatment here, possibly more, and then we will see what happens.
"The vaccine was only available if you showed no evidence of disease. Now that Flora has relapsed she can't receive the vaccine.
“Unfortunately, she would need to begin the trial again if she is enrolled again. But the team in New York have been great.
“As soon as they found out she had relapsed, they were on the phone working with the team at home. They really care about their patients and want what is best for Flora.
"We are just focusing on the now at the moment and will look at our options later."
Stephanie said the news had come as a surprise as Flora had been looking healthy over the past few months.
READ MORE: Flora Gentleman: Cancer Research UK fundraiser set off by county child
She said: “It is really not what we were expecting. A lot of people had commented on how bright she looked recently.
“The good news is that she’s still bright and full of life. You wouldn’t even know she had relapsed.”
Despite the news, Stephanie said she remained hopeful of getting treatment back on track.
She said: “Flora shouldn’t have relapsed, and she has. We are going to do everything in our power to take this on.
“Hold your children tight, and be thankful for their health. There is nothing in this world I long more for than for Flora to live a life without cancer.”
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