Fresh appeal to help brave Plymouth girl after 'heartbreaking' diagnosis

'We are so grateful to people'

Nearly £20,000 has been raised from kind-hearted people to help a three-year-old Plymouth girl paralysed by a tumour on her spine. The parents of little Clara Gilley are delighted but still need more money to ensure their daughter can live in a specially adapted house when she finally leaves hospital.

Clara is in a high-dependency unit at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children where she received life saving surgery after falling seriously ill more than six months ago. She is receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment and is on a ventilator.

But the tumour damaged her spine meaning it is unlikely she will be able to walk or use her arms and now faces being confined to a wheelchair. Her parents, Alana and Matt Gilley, who have been at their daughter’s bedside every day since she was hospitalised, will have to move to a house which is accessible for her when she is finally well enough to go home.

They have begun the search for a new home, but the cost of a new and fully-adapted property will be immense. Matt, who is self-employed and unable to work while his daughter is so unwell, said he and Alana have been told they can only get a mortgage for up to £155,000.

Support Clara's Crowdfunder appeal here

Even by selling their current Plympton home, which is totally unsuitable for Clara and can’t be sufficiently adapted, they would not still not be able to afford a new home that meets their little girl’s needs. Although there are some grants available, Matt and Alana still would need more money - and therefore launched a Crowdfunder appeal for at least £100,000.

At the time of writing, the appeal has hit £19,725 with 489 people having pledged support on the Get Clara Home appeal. Some have written messages, mentioning their “heartbreak” and wishing the best for a “beautiful” and “brave” little girl.

Matt said he and Alana were overwhelmed by people’s generosity. He said they found it difficult to ask for financial help but have to do it to get the cash they need so Clara can have a home that is suitable for her needs.

Matt said: “We are so grateful to people. I’m amazed we were able to raise £1,000 let alone the amount we have so far.

“But as difficult as it is to ask for help, we are still short of our target. Whatever is raised we are grateful for, but we do need help.”

Matt said life had been extremely challenging since Clara was rushed to hospital in March. After falling ill she was taken at first to Derriford Hospital and then to the specialist unit in Bristol where she received life-saving surgery to remove the tumour from her back.

It had pressed against her spinal cord, causing to lose use of her limbs and Clara couldn’t breathe without a ventilator. Two weeks later she was diagnosed with cancer and has been receiving treatment to attack the remains of the tumour that could not be removed by surgeons.

Clara has also battled infections, because her immune system is compromised by her treatment. She has just started receiving radiotherapy, to target the tumour and any cancerous cells.

Matt said: “We don’t know how Clara will respond to the radiotherapy. It’s a new challenge for the medical team and for us.”

Alana has described Clara as “feisty, kind and brave”. She said her daughter loves bunnies, Wallace and Gromit, and princesses - and her favourite colour is “the rainbow”.

She said Clara has been “incredible” throughout her treatment, which has included multiple surgeries, including a tracheostomy procedure. She said that throughout it all Clara has continued to smile and remain “her funny, sweet self” .

She said Clara is “the strongest and most resilient person and she deserves to be given the chance to live a fulfilled life”. That means moving to a house that is fully accessible to Clara.

But she and Matt would be unable to get a mortgage to cover what they need to buy such a property, and therefore are kindly asking for help and well-wishers can donate to Clara’s Crowdfunder appeal here.

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