Maysaa's campaign

Maysaa is six years old and loves strawberries, unicorns and rainbows. Maysaa enrolled on the DFMO study in Charlotte in August 2022 to continue her treatment, which was made possible by the community of supporters who helped raise the £106,000 needed.

Fundraising total£113,765.00

Maysaa's story

Maysaa loves her two older brothers - and bossing them around even more!  

During lockdown, Maysaa became very clingy and was off certain foods. By March 2021, her parents noticed that her lips had begun to turn blue, and her tummy was distended.  

They took her to the GP, who referred Maysaa to a cardiologist. Not satisfied with the outcome, Maysaa’s parents decided to take her to A&E. Following many scans, poking, prodding and tubes she was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer that has a 40-50% chance of long-term survival at diagnosis.   

"Everything happened so fast and was completely unexpected. We were in a state of shock, we were devastated, and our lives were turned upside-down within a matter of hours."

Maysaa’s parents, Osama and Ihssane

Maysaa’s family started fundraising for £106,000 to fulfil their wishes for Maysaa to access the DFMO study in Charlotte after frontline treatment, with the hope of keeping the cancer away. Thanks to the incredible support the campaign received, Maysaa was able to enrol on the study in August 2022.  

Maysaa’s campaign remains open in case she needs potentially life-saving treatment in the future not available through the NHS, which could cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Follow Maysaa's story on social media.

Donate to Maysaa’s campaign

A donation to Maysaa’s campaign could help her access any potentially life-saving treatment needed in the future that is not available through the NHS.

Donate now

Treatment so far 

Maysaa had five rounds of chemotherapy with many hospital admissions for high fevers in between. As Maysaa is immunosuppressed, these fevers could not be ignored. She also underwent an extremely risky surgical procedure to remove as much of the primary tumour as possible. It took the surgeons eight long hours, and Maysaa’s family say that it was one of the hardest days of their lives.  

Once Maysaa had recovered from surgery, she had a round of high-dose chemotherapy. She remained in isolation whilst her parents took turns to care for her. Whilst in isolation, Maysaa suffered from very bad mucositis, nausea and diarrhoea. She was on a constant drip of morphine due to the extreme pain she was in.   

Maysaa then had radiotherapy and immunotherapy to complete her frontline treatment in the summer of 2022. End of treatment scans showed no evidence of disease, and she enrolled on the DFMO study in Charlotte in August 2022.

"Watching our beautiful baby girl go through some of the most extreme forms of treatment and the side effects they cause has been torturous and tremendously difficult, but the patience and grace with which Maysaa bore them was truly inspirational."

Maysaa’s parents, Osama and Ihssane

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

Funds raised will go towards helping Maysaa and her family. If Maysaa no longer needs the funds or is in remission five years post the end of successful treatment, the funds will be used to support other children and families affected by neuroblastoma through our activities. For children with high-risk neuroblastoma, like Maysaa, the survival rate is much lower than other childhood cancers. Upon relapse, this rate reduces even further.

Donations and comments

Anonymous£51.97

Donated on: 22nd September 2023

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK.

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 24th April 2023

Mouna Yamine£51.00

Donated on: 23rd April 2023

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 23rd March 2023

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 23rd February 2023

Carly McGettigan£5.10

Donated on: 2nd February 2023

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 23rd January 2023

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 23rd December 2022

Anonymous£20.00

Donated on: 1st December 2022

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 23rd November 2022

Anonymous£962.00

Donated on: 11th November 2022

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK.

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 24th October 2022

Anonymous£19.00

Donated on: 17th October 2022

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK.

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 23rd September 2022

Anonymous£361.00

Donated on: 16th September 2022

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 23rd August 2022

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 25th July 2022

Anonymous£5,625.00

Donated on: 23rd July 2022

Manual adjustment by Solving Kids' Cancer UK.

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 23rd June 2022

Anonymous£408.00

Donated on: 22nd June 2022

Sending plenty of good vibes to take with you to the US. You are such an inspirational little girl x

Anonymous£20.40

Donated on: 30th May 2022

Azmin Akhtar£10.20

Donated on: 23rd May 2022

Anonymous£10.20

Donated on: 11th May 2022

God bless Maysaa, in our prayers and thoughts.

Anonymous£40.00

Donated on: 1st May 2022

Anonymous£10.00

Donated on: 27th April 2022

May Allah swt grant you health and shifa in this blessed month. Stay smiling beautiful princess xx

A A£2,466.36

Donated on: 26th April 2022

Saira Shahid£1,590.00

Donated on: 26th April 2022

Donations collected from family and friends for Maysaa. We Wish her all the best Inshallah. Lots of love Saira Shahid.

Mohammed Siddique £5.10

Donated on: 26th April 2022

Anonymous£102.00

Donated on: 25th April 2022

Sara Obhdi£5.00

Donated on: 25th April 2022