Supermarket cash for brave Felicia

3:00pm Monday 4th August 2008

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A SUPERMARKET and its customers have raised cash to help a brave 10 year old girl continue her fight against cancer.

Somerfield in London Road, Leigh, hosted a fundraising day and collected £1,250 for Felicia Cantone.

The youngster, a pupil at North Street Junior School in Leigh, has been receiving pioneering treatment to help boost her immune system at a hospital in Mexico.

In January she had to have her leg amputated to prevent the spread of the rare bone cancer, but despite this she is trying to lead as normal a life as possible. After the operation she returned to school just two days later.

During her three-week stay at the Oasis of Hope Hospital in Mexico, specialists detoxified her blood of all the toxins built up from repeated bouts of high-dose chemotherapy. Now back at home in Leighton Avenue, Leigh, Felicia told the Echo: “Three weeks felt like forever. There weren’t really any other children around. It wasn’t a children’s hospital. There were all adults around me, but I did meet a girl called Amy and we became friends, but she is 38.

“I was really nervous about what they were going to do, and whether things would really hurt. Some things did hurt, but I have to get used to it.

“I did get some days out to Seaworld, Legoland and the zoo. The best bit was at Seaworld where I fed fish to the dolphins.”

Felicia has been fighting a type of cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma for three years. Although the youngster is now in remission the cancer could come back.

Mum Sammi, 41, of Leighton Avenue, Leigh, said: “Felicia has a 35 per cent chance of survival. We had heard great things the treatment which has done for other people suffering with cancer.

“This is our last ditch attempt to try to keep her alive.

“I don’t know if I want to put her through any more treatment as it is not nice to see her going through so much suffering.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed.”

Mrs Cantone said: “Felicia will have to go back to Mexico in nine months’ time and the money from Somerfield will be used towards the cost of that trip.

“We were also thinking about getting her a hand propelled bike, but these can cost a thousand pounds.”

If you would like to donate any money to help Felicia, contact Mrs Cantone via e-mail at carlocantone@hotmail.com