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A popular schoolgirl diagnosed with a rare cancer just weeks after complaining of a sore chin now faces six months of life-saving treatment.
Eight-year-old Aurora Pile-Gray, from Westbrook, Thanet will undergo chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London for Burkitt’s Leukaemia, a fast-spreading cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.
Her diagnosis has led to an outpouring of support, with £12,000 raised in just two days to help her family, who will have little income while she undergoes treatment.
Aurora’s heartbroken mum, Keisha, says her usually healthy daughter began mentioning pain in her chin mid-April before her condition rapidly deteriorated.
“She was constantly telling us she was in pain,” she said.
“Her chin was sore, the bottom of her lip was sore and all of her teeth were beginning to hurt.
“On April 21, as we sat watching TV, Aurora told me she’d found a lump on her neck.”
But the bubbly youngster was her normal upbeat, happy self - despite a golf ball-sized lump under her ear - so was sent home by her GP with some antibiotics.
Ms Pile-Gray, however, says by the end of the course she had become very ill, sleeping about 20 hours a day.
During the few hours she was awake, the St Saviour’s Junior School pupil was in awful pain with her chin.
The lump behind her ear had also doubled in size and another had appeared behind her other ear.
But after being sent to A&E, it was put down to swollen lymph nodes and more antibiotics were administered.
“By day nine of antibiotics, Aurora’s chin was more painful than ever and the tears were constant,” Ms Pile-Gray said.
“She slept beside me all night, not that you could call it sleep.
"Even in her dreams she whimpered in pain.”
A trip back to A&E led to hours of tests and Ms Pile-Gray, refusing to accept it was a viral infection, insisted Aurora be admitted.
“She quickly spiralled downhill from there and in 72 hours we went from being told it was a high possibility of a viral infection, to being blue-lighted by ambulance to a specialist hospital in London.”
Aurora then developed double vision, became anaemic and her platelets began dropping.
Her right eye stopped working, her kidneys began to struggle and medics discussed a possible blood transfusion.
Eventually, Ms Pile-Gray was told the devastating news that Rory, as she is known, has cancer.
“There is no possible way to prepare yourself for a diagnosis like that and no way to prepare for how quickly you have to move to catch it,” she said.
“In under 48-hours Aurora had gone from having a suspected viral infection to being tested for leukaemia and had to undergo a bone marrow aspiration, lymph node biopsy and lumbar puncture to collect spinal fluid and inject her first dose of chemotherapy directly into her spinal fluid.
“She has had a Hickman central line fitted and began receiving steroids for the pre-treatment phase of chemotherapy.
“Her kidneys continued to deteriorate which suggested she might need dialysis, and as a family we’ve been told she will need at least six months of treatment in London.
“This also means shielding for six months to minimise the risk of infection, for everyone in the household.
"My heart is breaking, but not for myself. I’m sad for everyone else.
“I’m sad for Aurora who keeps telling me she wishes she never got poorly.
"I’m sad for my two young babies who aren’t going to see their mum for weeks at a time, but guilty for missing them.
“I’m sad for everyone who loves Aurora as much as I do.
“You couldn’t find a funnier, more outgoing and engaging little girl.
“Well-mannered, polite and as beautiful as they come, Aurora is the full package, and people absolutely adore her.”
To donate to the fundraising page set up by family friend Grave Scriven, click here.
