More funding is needed for research into rare pediatric conditions, according to the parents of a 12-year-old Jersey girl who passed away from cancer.
Following a diagnosis of the rare and aggressive bone cancer Ewing sarcoma, Beth Phelps passed away in 2022.
The Love Beth campaign was started by her parents Aby and Ben Phelps to raise money and awareness for pediatric-specific treatments.
More funding, according to Mr. Phelps, is required to investigate various disease-treating strategies.
Beth Phelps' parents, Aby and Ben Phelps, described her as an "incredibly rare" individual.
"The level of institutional funding into research is really low everywhere, not just in the UK, but the main defense for that is that it's uncommon," he said.
"Everyone's child is incredibly rare in their own right, and you don't feel that when you're going through it, but our daughter was incredibly rare. ".
More than £2,800 has already been raised for the cause.
Mr. Phelps expressed the hope that funds raised would also go toward GP training on how to recognize various symptoms.
They simply need to adopt a zero-risk strategy, he said.
"We think of everything as cancer first, and I think our experience was somewhat the opposite.
"Doctors must be able to identify symptoms early on and have faith in a parent's worries. ".
Finding treatments that are more appropriate for children and adolescents is crucial, according to Children with Cancer UK's Jo Elvin.
After receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing cancer treatment, she said, "They have longer lives ahead of them.
"However, many of the treatments we give children have quite crippling long-term effects that they will then have to deal with as teenagers and adults; as a result, they need to be viewed and treated differently.
. "
