A terminally ill father successfully raised over $1 million to fund his 5-year-old's cancer treatment.
Tom Attwater, 32, is often bedridden due to his own battle with brain cancer, but he refused to rest until he raised 500,000 pounds ($1 million) so his stepdaughter Kelli, who is fighting Neuroblastoma, can receive the pioneering medical treatment she might need, reported Daily Mirror.
Neuroblastoma is a rare disease that occurs when a solid tumor is formed by neroblasts, which are special nerve cells. This disease, which is most common in children under 5-years-old, occurs when these immature neroblast cells develop into cancer cells instead of normally-functioning nerve cells.
Attwater married Kelli's mom Joely, 27, eight months ago. He says he is doing what any other parent would do for their child. He previously told Daily Mirror that he couldn't rest until enough money was raised for Kelli's treatment.
"I feel elated. When I saw the figures at 100 percent to target on JustGiving I was in such shock I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," Attwater told Daily Mirror of raising enough money for Kelli's treatment. "Now it's sunk in I feel like the luckiest man alive. Time is running out for me and my health is declining. But I can now spend my time in peace, enjoying my family safe in the knowledge that I have done my best to give Kelli a chance of a long and happy life."
In the U.K, where the Attwater's reside, there is no treatment protocol for Neuroblastoma. There are treatment options available outside of the country, but such procedures could cost the upwards of $1 million, the Attwater's explain on their fundraising page, JustGiving.
The number one thing on Attwater's bucket list was raising the money from Kelli's treatment," Joley explained to Daily Mirror. She added that having a child of his own was also on Attwater's list, and the couple is expecting a baby in May.
