Girls at a ballet class in St Albans have launched a bid to raise £5,000 to support a 13-year-old dancer with leukaemia.
Ellie Brewer, of Park Street - who has attended the Jan Cox School of Dance since she was three - was diagnosed with acute myloid leukaemia (AML) earlier this year.
Her dance school friends have set up a fundraising page to try to raise money for food, travel to and from the hospital, pyjamas and a holiday for her and her family.
Following three rounds of chemotherapy, Ellie will need a bone marrow transplant in July and will have to stay in hospital for eight weeks after the operation.
She has not been able to go to school since February and, after her operation, will not be able to go back until January next year.
Ellie’s mum Loraine Brewer said: “Ellie’s a dancer. She’s been going to Jan Cox since she was three - she’s grown up with those girls.
“This was just an absolute shock to everybody.”
Ellie’s school friends at Marlborough and their parents also raised £4,000 for cancer charities by taking part in a mud run. Ellie came home from hospital in a wheelchair to take part.
The fundraising page has set a target of £5,000 to support the family.
Loraine said: “We are raising funds to help with the costs of travel up and down to London and to help with food.
“We have had to cancel three holidays, so we were hoping to try and get a weekend away for the family over Christmas.”
Ellie has just bought her first pair of pointe shoes for her ballet class, which she is hoping to wear to classes after recovering from her operation.
Speaking about the fundraising page, Mrs Brewer said: “It’s amazing. I’m absolutely overwhelmed by it. Every time I start thinking about it or someone tries to help I just burst into tears.
“Everyone’s being so kind.”
Stephanie Anderson, 12, one of Ellie’s friends from the dance class, said: “Ellie has had such a frightening and difficult year with three rounds of chemotherapy so far.
“She now has to face a bone marrow transplant, which is a big operation with a long time to recover.
“We can’t imagine what this must be like for her and her little brother and mum and dad.
“We know that her mum has not been able to work as much as usual and so we wanted to raise some money for them to help with the costs, so that she can be with Ellie and support her through this difficult time.”
To donate to Ellie, go to www.gofundme.com/ellies-fight-with-leukemia
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