On 18th September 2001, our only child, Jessica Lucia Magnus was born at Barnet Hospital.

When Jessica was just 3 years old, her doctor noticed a slight heart murmur whilst visiting her grandparents in the Czech Republic.
X-rays taken on her return to the UK revealed that although the murmur was innocent there was a large shadow visible behind her heart.
In December 2005 we were completely devastated when Jessica was diagnosed with cancer. Jessie did not only have cancer she had Ganglioneuroblastoma (a rare form of childhood cancer with both malignant and benign tumor that was taking up most of her chest and wrapped around her spine) stage III. Jessie was only 4 years old.
After diagnosis, Jessica received 2 rounds of chemotherapy followed by 9 hours of surgery that removed just 25% of the tumor.  A biopsy of the removed tumor showed more malignancy than first thought so a further 4 rounds of chemotherapy was given but it did not shrink the remainder of the tumor at all.

In the worst case scenario of Jessica's tumor growing, there are further treatments available in the UK such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and steroid injections.

We started a fundraising campaign in order to raise funds to get Jessica to US Memorial Sloan Kettering Centre in NY for a lifesaving treatment called immunotherapy or to Houston Burzynsky clinic offering anti-neoplaston therapy to get rid of any remaining cancer cells should her tumor start growing in the future, however we were ensured that Jessica’s type of tumor has excellent prognosis and that is very unlikely that it will progress.

UNFORTUNATELY, Jessica has developed curvature of her spine, called neuromuscular progressive scoliosis, after the removal of the part of her tumor in March 2006. Her curvature progressed from 23 degrees to 58-60 degrees in August 2009. This is a very fast progression which eventually requires invasive and pioneering (in Jessica’s case) surgery.

This surgery involves removing her intra-spinal tumor inside her spinal canal which measures 15cm, inserting spinal growing rods and straightening her spine.

This is a very complicated surgery involving great risks to Jessica’s spinal cord along with other surgery complications and we were informed that nobody in the UK has done the combination of those two surgeries in one before.

We are therefore seeking second opinions from experts around the world in regards to the surgery and we are also trying to do our best to postpone this surgery for as long as possible in order to find the best person to deal with Jessica’s issues.

We are also trying a new Cheneau brace and physiotherapy in order to halt Jessica’s scoliosis progression but sadly this is not available on the NHS and therefore the need for funds is greater than ever.

The search continues thanks to the funds available though the fundraising campaigns of Kids Integrated Cancer Treatment (KICT).

Should our search bring some experts in this field to our attention, we will not hesitate to seek help from them should it be only their opinion or the surgical procedure itself. Jessica deserves the best whether it is in the UK or elsewhere!!! If we seek help from doctors abroad, the financial burden on our family, the fund and others with be great and therefore the fundraising efforts continue.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any idea for fundraising or if you are willing to help in any way. It would be much appreciated.

Should Jessica’s tumor start growing and her scoliosis continued to progress, it would start pressing onto her already "significantly compressed" spinal cord and Jessica would become paralyzed.

We currently have a target of £800, that is needed for Jessica's new Chenau brace. Once this is raised we will be looking to build up her fund to continue paying for her Schroth physiotherapy and in the future any operations she may need abroad to correct her scoliosis.

You can read about Jessie in the news by clicking on the links below.

If you would like to do some fundraising for Jessica please e-mail or call us and we shall send you out a fundraising pack.

Appeal 4 Jessica is supported by;

THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!