Townsville’s ‘little warrior’ Charlie Lambert battles cancer for second time
A brave 10-year-old who spent her year in and out of hospital battling cancer has been dealt another devastating diagnosis just months after being reunited with her schoolmates in Townsville.
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A brave 10-year-old who spent her year in and out of hospital battling cancer has been dealt another devastating diagnosis just six months after being reunited with her schoolmates in Townsville.
Wulguru girl Charlie Lambert, 10, was diagnosed with rare kidney cancer after her mum Simone noticed a suspicious bulge on her tummy, which turned out to be a 1.4kg Wilms tumour last September.
After enduring 22 weeks of gruelling chemotherapy sessions and having a kidney removed, the family thought they’d won, but the cruel hands of fate had different plans.
A year later, almost to the day, they found out that the cancer was back in the exact same spot.
Now, the mother-daughter duo has been forced to leave their life in Townsville to relocate to Brisbane.
Charlie is set to begin a new and intense round of treatments starting on Tuesday — a clinical trial that is expected to last a minimum of eight months.
It means Simone, a single mum who can’t work while caring for Charlie, is staring down a mountain of inevitable expenses.
Her best friend Rikki Cooper has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help see them through while Charlie battles cancer for a second time.
“Charlie is such a little warrior,” Ms Cooper said.
“It’s been so tough, but most days, she’s such a little trooper.
“In the beginning, she would lock herself into the cupboard when the nurses came into the room because she hates needles.
“It’s devastating because she’d just gotten home to Townsville and was reunited with her friends at Oonoonba State School.
“I can’t believe she’s going to have to go through all of this again. “It’s any parent’s worst nightmare.”
Charlie has also had to cancel her previously approved wish through the Starlight Foundation to go on a Disney Cruise this December due to her next round of treatment.
Ms Cooper said she’s aiming to raise at least $10,000 to alleviate some of their burdens. “Groceries and the cost of living is expensive, and to try to ease the burden, we want to help with living expenses both here in Brisbane and back home in Townsville,” she said.
“As we all know, the bills don’t stop no matter where you are.”
You can help here: https://gofund.me/129b8a44
Originally published as Townsville’s ‘little warrior’ Charlie Lambert battles cancer for second time
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