Maya's campaign

Maya is 10 years old. She’s the same feisty and stubborn girl her family have known since she was born. After completing frontline treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma in 2020 and the bivalent vaccine clinical trial in America, Maya sadly relapsed in the summer of 2023.

Fundraising total£89,822.38
"Maya’s cancer journey is a constant reminder: LOVE our loved-ones harder. And be grateful that our kids are well enough to play and make a huge mess around the house. Whatever it is that we do, we hold on to HOPE. The tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord."

Maya's mum, Dellanie

Maya's story

“There were virtually no signs at all, just unexplained lethargy and a persistent fever, which was always seen as a ‘viral infection’,” says Maya’s mum, Dellanie. 

After ten weeks of uncertainty surrounding Maya’s health, Dellanie and Maya’s dad, Terry heard the words that would change their lives – your child has cancer. Maya was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma in her left adrenal gland – she was three years old. 

"It was so overwhelming and gut-wrenching. Every parent’s worst nightmare. We were told if her tumour had been left untreated that she would have only had a few weeks to live."

Maya's mum, Dellanie

"Everything in our world had turned upside down. I felt if she goes, I’m going with her."

Maya’s dad, Terry

Over a 20-month period, Maya endured ten cycles of chemotherapy, stem cell harvest, surgery, stem cell transplant, high-dose chemotherapy, radiotherapy, differentiation therapy and immunotherapy. She also had countless injections, blood and platelet transfusions and general anaesthesia. She really went through the mill, and her beautiful brown hair fell out. Dellanie describes the time as ‘harrowing’. As well as mucositis, Maya suffered from haemorrhaging, horrendous nosebleeds, and VOD (veno-occlusive disease) of the liver.  

Dellanie and Terry suffered as parents too, exhausted from the pain of watching their child go through everything and putting on a brave face when they didn’t always feel that strong. Fortunately, the family had great support – they feel forever indebted to all the wonderful people, and the excellent NHS team who looked after their precious girl.  

Maya came to the end of her frontline treatment, and despite ‘hot spots’ evident on her October 2018 scans, doctors didn’t think it was active disease, so no further treatment was planned for Maya in the UK. Knowing how aggressive Maya’s cancer was and the high relapse rates, her mum and dad were not comfortable accepting a wait-and-see approach.  

Next steps 

The family had started fundraising with Solving Kids’ Cancer UK in case Maya needed any treatment not available on the NHS, and following frontline treatment, hoped Maya could access the bivalent vaccine clinical trial at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, to try to increase the chance of the cancer staying away.  

Treatment was required to begin within six months of finishing immunotherapy and within 45 days of end of treatment scans, so 25th February 2019. But the family were short of the full funds needed. Knowing that a child’s best chance of beating neuroblastoma is when they are fighting it for the first time, Solving Kids’ Cancer UK took the decision to set aside reserve funds to cover the shortfall so Maya could begin the treatment. Maya started treatment in February 2019.  

Fundraising continued and in June 2020, Solving Kids’ Cancer UK was able to revise down the campaign’s fundraising target for a second time to £85,000. This was made possible by the personal sacrifices the family made to ensure the least expensive options at every stage. Fundraising continued with urgency, and in September 2020 the fundraising target was reached. This enabled Solving Kids’ Cancer UK to replenish its reserves to allow for the next child who needed help.  

Maya finished treatment in 2020 and had six-monthly ultrasound scans of the abdomen. The family experienced some specific challenges as Maya was diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) in June 2022. She is also being investigated for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). 

"We are overwhelmed with gratitude to family, friends, and the community, who continue to show their support and love for our family. We are all warriors together to beat this childhood cancer that has started to rob Maya of her childhood during the past two years. We’ve got this, folks!"

Maya's parents, Dellanie and Terry

Relapse and further treatment

After ongoing knee and groin pain, leaving her almost immobile, in July 2023 Maya’s parent took her to A&E where she had an MRI scan. Results from her MRI came back inconclusive, so she had further scans which devastatingly confirmed Maya had relapsed with widespread skeletal disease, just days after her 10th birthday. The family's world was once again turned upside down and they were thrown back into a world of hospital stays and treatments.

In August, Maya started her first cycle of BIT chemotherapy. She struggled with the effects this had on her body and experienced side effects such as loss of appetite, lack of energy and strength, persistent diarrhoea, mouth sores and ulcers. Maya went on to complete two more cycles of BIT with reassessment scans in October showing Maya’s disease had a partial response to treatment and there was still no disease in the soft tissue.

Maya had a further four cycles of BIT with reassessment scans taking place just before Christmas. The scans showed Maya’s disease was continuing to respond well to treatment. Maya will start cycle 12 of treatment in April with re-assessment scans taking place in mid-April.

Donate to Maya's fund

High-risk neuroblastoma is an aggressive cancer with high rates of relapse. At relapse, the chance of survival is extremely low. Your donation will support Maya should she need further treatment that is not available through the NHS, or other children like Maya.

Donate now

Solving Kids' Cancer UK's children's fundraising campaigns 

Funds raised will go towards helping Maya should she need further treatment not available through the NHS. Maya's cancer, high-risk neuroblastoma is aggressive with high rates of relapse. At relapse, the chance of survival is extremely low. If Maya no longer needs the funds or is in remission five years post the end of treatment, the funds will be used to support other children and families affected by neuroblastoma through our activities. 

Donations and comments

Anonymous£781.00

Donated on: 11th May 2023

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK.

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 17th October 2021

Anonymous£871.00

Donated on: 14th October 2021

Manual Adjustment.

Marie Griggs£5.10

Donated on: 15th October 2020

KENNETH THOMAS£30.60

Donated on: 8th October 2020

Hope you're all doing well, much love xx

Anonymous£130.00

Donated on: 25th September 2020

With love

Jannes Luchtenberg£163.00

Donated on: 8th September 2020

Maya, you are such a fighter! Your battle has touched all of us here in the Netherlands. We hope that with our little contribution we can somehow ease the burden that you and your family are experiencing.

Anonymous£50.00

Donated on: 4th September 2020

virginia maasbach£10.20

Donated on: 3rd September 2020

tania law£5.00

Donated on: 3rd September 2020

Keep fighting Maya x

Emily Wolstenholme £40.00

Donated on: 3rd September 2020

Dellani, your story really touched me when I saw you today. I have such admiration and for you and your family. Maya is so lucky to have you as a mum! I wish her all the best in her treatment and recovery xx

KENNETH THOMAS£30.60

Donated on: 1st September 2020

Lola Santer£3.00

Donated on: 31st August 2020

One moet champagne ticket

Dellanie Nash£10.20

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Love to Maya from Amanda J

Barry Weller£10.20

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Love to Maya from Ted Weller

GAIL TOPPING£3.06

Donated on: 31st August 2020

For champagne raffle Best wishes Gail

Laura Kingston £6.12

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Dellanie Nash£6.12

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Two Mo't tickets for Anne Cole, Always supporting Maya's Appeal xx

Dellanie Nash£3.06

Donated on: 31st August 2020

One Mo't label ticket. Love to Maya from Karen Kennedy xx

Kara Thorne£6.12

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Amanda Oliphant£6.12

Donated on: 31st August 2020

Alison Whittaker£3.06

Donated on: 30th August 2020

Love to Maya from Aunt Frances Clark!

Marluce Clark£10.20

Donated on: 30th August 2020

Gaile Utting£3.06

Donated on: 30th August 2020

Hayley Morgan£3.06

Donated on: 30th August 2020

Alison Whittaker£3.06

Donated on: 30th August 2020

From Alison Whittaker

Anna Cleeton£5.10

Donated on: 30th August 2020

Rachel Partridge£3.06

Donated on: 30th August 2020

michael byrne£20.40

Donated on: 30th August 2020

What an amazing, wonderful little girl & family. I can certainly vouch for how much she bounces around! Her nickname should be Tigger!

Rachel Watts£6.12

Donated on: 30th August 2020

6 pounds for 2 corks