Help us to save little Callum

8:35am Monday 5th November 2007

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GENEROUS people have been digging deep to help save the life of a terminally ill five-year-old.

Doctors in the UK have said there is nothing they can do to save Callum Kaye, who has a brain tumour.

But his parents Anna Eagle and Craig Kaye, 24, hope to confound medical opinion and are planning to take their son to a cutting edge hospital in New York.

Family and friends have set up the Callum Appeal and have so far raised £2,000 towards the £175,000 deposit they need to get the youngster treated at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC).

People from as far afield as Bristol and Reading have already been in touch to organise fundraisers.

Anna, who feeds Callum fresh juice from a syringe in their Penhill home, says she will not give up. Her only son is so tired he cannot open his eyes while his two-year old sister Phoebe watches cartoons quietly.

"They say it is terminal and he has around six months to live, but they can't give an exact time," said the 22-year-old.

"Callum is a fighter. He is a strong little boy considering everything he has been through," she said.

Callum was diagnosed with medulloblastoma - a severe tumour - in October 2005.

One month later, doctors removed 80 per cent of the brain tumour. They couldn't go any further for fear of paralysing him.

They hoped more chemotherapy and radiotherapy would remove the rest of the tumour, but the treatment failed. Only one fifth of children in the UK survive the malignant tumour.

Callum also has epilepsy and a fit three weeks ago has left him worn out.

The family have found that the MSKCC uses advanced techniques such as robotic surgery, antibody therapy and a cyber knife.

"The treatment in the US is much more advanced," said Anna.

"The doctors here have done their best. It's all they can do.

"At the moment I'm trying to keep strong for Callum.

"Obviously I am heartbroken but I don't want him to pick up any bad vibes as he is going through enough as it is. He knows what is going on."

Anna says her son is energetic and loves life.

"He loves interacting. He is such a happy little kid. As soon as he sees anyone, he says, hello, hello'."

A sign of hope is that what remains of Callum's tumour has not grown.

Family friend Kevin Wright has been busy organising the appeal for Callum's treatment. Kevin and other family friends have been cold calling people over the phone in a bid to send them information about the appeal.

And he says the generosity shown so far has been fantastic.

He said: "The response has been terrific. It is a good start. Let's keep it going. We have great hopes that the people of Swindon will continue to rally around."

People can buy raffle tickets to help raise money to save Callum. To donate, call 01793 238608 or visit www.callumsappeal.co.uk. Cheques and postal orders must be made payable to Callum's Appeal.