‘Incredible’ generosity could save Ned Isham’s life as mystery donor pledges to fund the five-year-old’s potentially lifesaving treatment

FAMILY and friends of Ned Isham are celebrating the news a generous donor has offered to fund the five-year-old’s potentially lifesaving cancer treatment in the US.

Ned Isham, 5, has been battling cancer for almost four years. Picture: JASON EDWARDS

FAMILY and friends of Ned Isham are celebrating the news a generous donor has offered to fund the five-year-old’s potentially lifesaving cancer treatment in the US.

“It has blown us out of the water,” Emily Isham told the Sunday Tasmanian yesterday.

“Seattle was our last lifeline. “Now this has miraculously occurred.”

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Dr Isham, a Kingston GP, and her husband Seth were ready to give up everything to save their son Ned, who has been battling cancer for almost four years.

Yesterday, the Mercury reported on how the Kingston family moved to Melbourne in June last year so Ned could receive a bone-marrow transplant from his younger sister Eleanor at the Royal Children’s Hospital, to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Ned Isham with sisters Eleanor, 2, and Lucy, 9. Picture: Jason EDWARDS

Last week the Isham family received the devastating news that the bone marrow treatment had failed to arrest Ned’s leukaemia.

MORE: MUM’S HEARTBREAKING ACCOUNT OF SON’S BATTLE

They were told that his final hope was a world-leading, and expensive, clinical trial at Seattle Children’s Hospital in the US.

Dr Isham said the family was prepared to remortgage their home and pull out their super in order to fund the $680,000 needed. They decided at the last minute to create a GoFundMe page to help their cause. Another fundraising page was organised through Rare Cancers Australia.

Almost 650 generous contributors managed to raise $84,000 through the GoFundMe page and hundreds more raised nearly $120,000 through the Rare Cancers Australia page.

Then yesterday morning, Dr Isham received an email she had to read several times to fully comprehend.

Trembling with emotion, Dr Isham woke her husband to reveal a private, international donor had offered to fund the remaining funds needed for Ned’s treatment.

Ned Isham, 5, receives powerful radiation to wipe out his bone marrow. Picture: JASON EDWARDS

An emotional Dr Isham said she was still confirming the details of the donation, but at this stage it looked promising.

“It’s incredible. We are blown away from the support from within Australia,” she said. “We have about four or five weeks before we have to leave and we anticipated it would be filled with stress.”

EDITORIAL: TIME TO GAIN SOME PERSPECTIVE

As a result of the generous donation, the Isham family has suspended fundraising on its GoFundMe page and will cancel it once able to confirm the donation.

“The groundswell of support has been amazing,” she said. “You don’t realise how much of a village you’re a part of, so thank you everyone.”

Ned Isham, 5, presents Prince Andrew with a Royal Children’s Hospital scrubs Meerkat last year. Picture: DAVID CAIRD

On the GoFundMe page last night, the Isham family wrote: “The past 48 hours have demonstrated the astounding amount of love for Ned. “Thank you for every dollar, every prayer and every encouraging word.”