A Special Appeal from Richard (Taff) Hale

[10W]

Folks,

One of the very few perks available to a PPRuNe Moderator is to be able to support and endorse limited numbers of charity appeals on the site, usually restricted to the Forum you moderate.

With that in mind, I'd like to provide support, and ask for yours, for the family of one of our recently retired ATC colleagues. Richard (Taff) Hale was an Assistant Air Traffic Controller, firstly with the RAF (including tours in RAF Germany), and then with NATS at Scottish Centre, before finally retiring from Prestwick Centre in late 2011. Those who know Taff will be aware that he is a larger than life character, who is also extremely loud :} , but above all was a supportive and loyal colleague, as well as a good friend, to all those who worked with him.

Like all Grandfathers, Taff dotes on his grand daughter, Vanessa, aged 11.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/383572_3103916438734_1288922858_33336395_864882760_n.jpg

When she was 8, in Feb 2009, Vanessa was diagnosed with Stage 4 (High-Risk) Neuroblastoma, a very rare, aggressive and difficult to treat form of childhood cancer. Fewer than 100 children in the UK are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year, most of whom are below the age of 5 and generally have a better prognosis because the older the child is, the worse the prognosis will be.

Since Feb 09, Vanessa has undergone many different treatments at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow, including 12 rounds (YES - TWELVE!!) of High Dose Chemotherapy, two 7 hour surgical operations, the removal of one of her kidneys, a stem cell transplant, Radiotherapy, Retinoic Acid treatment and Immunotherapy treatment……all of which was agonising to watch for her parents and family, never mind to have to endure as a child!

Having undergone all this difficult and often very painful treatment the fact remained that due to a high relapse rate with this disease, the long term prognosis for Vanessa's survival remained very poor with a less than a 40% survival rate. All the same, Vanessa finished her treatment at Yorkhill Hospital in Aug 2010 and was shortly afterwards given the 'all clear' by the medical experts. Brilliant news, until .......

In Dec 2011 after routine scans, her parents were given the devastating news that Vanessa had relapsed. She has many hotspots which have developed on the skull, neck, spine, leg, & knees. The UK doctors have told the family that this time round there is very little chance of survival; “much less than 10%” they said, as we do not have any relapse protocols in the UK. This is due to the UK Government not investing any money into relapse treatments for this disease. This is a very different story to the United States where there are many relapse protocols.

By taking Vanessa there, there is hope that treatment can dramatically increase her chances of long term survival. Taff and his family are now in the position of urgently having to take Vanessa to the United States for this relapse therapy treatment which the NHS will not fund. The treatment Vanessa requires is likely to involve Antibody Therapy and will cost in excess of £500,000. Vanessa’s latest scan results will be used to determine which therapy is best and this is likely to happen at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Which is where you come in and can help.

Please help us to raise the funds in order to save Vanessa’s life.

You can help by donating money, no matter the size of the donation. There are several methods of doing this detailed below at the end.

If you work for NATS, you could consider donating your next overtime or voluntary attendance shift money to the Appeal. Or make a one off donation from your pay. The great thing about these donations is that the Appeal will get the money PLUS the tax you would have paid on the money earned IMMEDIATELY. The mechanism for this is being set up through the Give As You Earn Scheme and as soon as it is in place, I will post the details for NATS staff who wish to contribute in this way.

You could also consider donating something for an auction or raffle. Various events are to be held over the coming months where we will use these generous gifts to help boost the fund. Already an extremely kind and generous ATCO has donated a boxing glove signed by 10 times world champion Manny Pacquiao, as well as signed football shirts from Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. What a great collection for any sports fan !!

Or raise some funds on your own however you see fit. Sponsored events like parachute jumps or walks. It's up to you :)

If you wish to donate, then in the UK you can donate by text message by texting VANY99 and your amount from £1 - £10 to text number 70070. For example, to donate £5, simply text VANY99 5 Or you can donate through the Justgiving Website Vanessa Riddle Appeal (http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socspon&utm_content=vanessa-appeal&utm_campaign=post-sponsor-facebook) where you can read more about the little girl and see what has been done so far for the fund. If you are a UK taxpayer, then by selecting Gift Aid with your donation, you will also force the taxman to give Vanessa your hard earned tax on the amount. Help Vanessa and screw the taxman. Win - Win !! :E

Please, EVERY single penny counts, no matter how little. The Appeal and Vanessa really mean that, and are grateful beyond words for anything you can do.

Thank you for reading and donating.

Thank you for being a PPRuNer with a big big heart !! :D

Richard (Taff) Hale and 10W

http://www.justgiving.com/Utils/imaging.ashx?width=400&imageType=frpphoto&img=12012%2f8e7f6677-8602-41d3-a992-8c505d31d1c8.jpg

And especially a BIG BIG THANK YOU from Vanessa XX

[DX Wombat]

Perishing dustmite allergy seems to have affected my eyes again. :{
Use your Modding powers and make this a sticky 10W.
This disease is probably the worst diagnosis you could ever receive for your child and the older the child at diagnosis the worse the prognosis. I don't usually mention if I make a contribution to anything but I'm making an exception this time. I'm not ATC staff, just a PPL who has had the benefit of their existence and skills.

[10W]

You can see Vanessa on the news clip

STV News 13 Jan 2012 (http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/293619-family-in-race-against-time-to-raise-500000-for-daughters-cancer-treatment/)

Unfortunately you will have to endure the adverts at the beginning, but bear with us :ok:

[neilmac]

Donation completed and I hope you reach your total, also be good if people put the link on their Face-book pages

NM

[Armchairflyer]

Same here & best wishes!

[Bigears]

I know how gutted Taff will have been by the latest news and I also know that Taff has a huge heart and would do whatever it took to support me if I were in his position. Vanessa is incredible- what a happy child, which speaks volumes of her parents and grandparents. All the best (and I'll gladly contribute).

[10W]

It's not the most intellectual of newspapers available in Scotland, but fair play to the Daily Record who have put this on their front page today :ok:

Daily Record Vanessa Story (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2012/01/14/family-in-desperate-race-to-raise-500-000-daughter-suffering-rare-form-of-cancer-86908-23698339/)

[kokpit]

Done, with very best wishes to Vanessa and her family, and I truly hope the power of the internet will help them overcome this terrible desease.

Kev.

[greenslopes]

Righto..... don't think you Poms are the only ones with hearts,Love and money for a good cause. How do us Stralians donate?
Mid last year my Cheeze and Kisses was diagnosed with Jack the dancer, thankfully after the surgeon,chemo,radio she has the all clear.
Let me know the appropriate channels and I ( and hopefully many others from down here) will donate.

Ooroo

[10W]

G'day Greenslopes,

thanks for your kind support and help. If you go to the JustGiving page below, you can pay by credit card or through PayPal. The minimum amount is £2 so bear in mind the exchange rate when the Oz Dollars come off your account :ok:

Vanessa Appeal (http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal)

Any problems, just holler.

Onya !! :)

[ricardian]

Successfully donated via PayPal (with GiftAid)

[Sentry Agitator]

Done - Good luck from a Fighter Controller.

SA

[Tarq57]

Attempted.
Unfortunately the site authenticates the donation using a "verified by visa" protocol (in my case) run by mycardsecure.

Get the password wrong just once, it invalidates further transactions.

Unable. I'll try again after the bank opens tomorrow.

Might be worth mentioning to the charity that although this is a fairly good security check, it's damn cumbersome. I can't use a different credit card, such as Amex.

All the best.

[ayrprox]

Any way we can get it stickied on the pilots , rumours and news and other bits of the site 10W?? :ok:

[PFR]

Donation completed - All The Very Best, PFR:)

[greenslopes]

Donated.


Thoughts and prayers to all involved.

[Ex RN ATC]

Donated

If you can send me an address i have a couple of items you can use for an auction. I have a Cricket Bat signed by the Northampton County Squad and a Rugby Ball signed by the Saracens Squad that might raise a couple of quid.

[A2QFI]

Nobody can fail to be humbled by this young lady's courage.

[tezzer]

Father of two, blessed thank God with two healthy kids, dontation made, and all the very best of luck.

[radarman]

Tried to donate using Paypal, but Norton Internet Security blocked the page which should appear after clicking the Paypal logo on the donation page. Came up with a very strong warning not to attempt to open the link. Don't know what the problem is, because others appear to have used Paypal successfully. Donation eventually made by credit card, but although it wanted 'Verification by Visa' it failed to ask for my password and went straight on to complete the transaction. If this was an internet shopping site I would have thought 'Dodgy', and disconnected immediately for fear of all sorts of malware, phishing and identity theft.

Anyway, the money seems to have got through to the right people, so can I send my best wishes to a very brave little girl and her family.

CM

[McGoonagall]

I was going to have next Sunday off but the bostin little girl can have the proceeds with gift aid. Go for it bab.

[10W]

£80K reached ... and some more coverage in the Scottish press.

Family Overwhelmed By Support (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2012/01/16/family-of-cancer-girl-vanessa-riddle-overwhelmed-as-fund-raises-80k-in-five-days-86908-23701345/)

A big thank you to everyone so far.

PS Just a minor point, but I have written to the Daily Record editor pointing out that the £80K has not only been raised by Scots people, as written in the article. We have donations and offers of help from across the globe and this should be acknowledged too. We are all in this together.

[GAPSTER]

April 19th 1982...115 ATCA Course,Hurn

The start of a 4 week crash course in advanced drinking and general late night misbehaviour ably led by an extremely loud,opinionated,scarily moustachioed ex-RAF NCO.That month introduced a fairly naive 18 year old to (nearly) all the pleasures of overindulgence and set the pattern for the ensuing 30 years (and counting) in the job.

Taff it was a pleasure to have started my ATC career with you as baby sitter and my thoughts are with you and your family and particularly Vanessa.

It is heartening to see the aviation community rallying round to help and I am pleased that I am able to contribute to the cause.

With very best wishes,Tim.

[Bob Wyer]

DCO
Best Wishes Bob Wyer

[aclog]

Just donated through Paypal, Thanks so much for posting this story. Wishing her and her parents all the strength in this journey

[10W]

Thanks to everyone's generosity, we have now cracked over £100K in donations, with plenty of events and fundraisers to come.

Vanessa is receiving 3 lots of Chemotherapy in the UK, prior to going to the USA, and this is expected to last until mid February. These sessions won't cure her, but should keep the cancer in its current state until she can be seen in Philadelphia. And they are being provided by the NHS, rather than having to be paid for in the USA. She remains positive and thanks everyone for all their great efforts.

For all the non Scots contributors, I got this back from a Daily Record editor today, regarding the fact that it is not only Scots who are raising money for the Appeal


Thank you for your email. You are absolutely correct people all round the globe have been digging deep for Vanessa - albeit that the majority of the money has come from Scotland.

I will mention this to the reporter tasked to the Vanessa story today so that the contribution of those in other countries get the recognition they deserve.

Vivienne Aitken
Assistant News Editor

[zetec2]

Hope it helps, with best wishes, PH

[blackswan]

I'm in, all the best, NT

cheers

[Daermon ATC]

I'm in.

Good luck and best wishes.

Daermon

[10W]

Thanks again to everyone round the world for helping Vanessa. You are all making a fantastic contribution !!

[10W]

Just a little update.

The family continue to be overwhelmed by the amount of support from everyone throughout the world. Donations continue to flood in. Events continue to be organised locally and further afield, with press coverage and high profile people continuing to promote the cause.

The fund now stands at £152,000.

We can add to that pending income from lots of upcoming events, raffles, and auctions. Local schools raised over £10,000 on Friday alone through various events held by the children, which is still to be added to the fund. Players and officials from Celtic and Rangers Football Clubs in Scotland have also collected a sizeable sum which has still to be added as well.

An ATC lady, who works with me, has volunteered to have her head shaved at an event in march and this will raise several thousands of ££££'s from her workmates.

The family thank each and everyone of you for the genuine support and kindness which they have experienced. They know there is a long way to go, but the fantastic response so far gives them a real hope and belief that the target will be achieved.

Thank you all :ok:

[dwshimoda]

Can we not have this as a sticky and on every forum?

DW.

[Greebson]

My heart goes out to your little grandaughter Taff.
If you need any help with any of the events just get Tess to give me a call. I only live next door.
Take care of that little girl

[warsteiner888]

Just sent donation via paypal from New Zealand. Also an ex RAF SNCO, now in Christchurch. My daughter went through a battle with cancer and is doing well now, my thoughts are with you. Have the RAF or CATCS helped in any way, they may not be aware of the situation

[Paris Dakar]

I'm in...

You're in my prayers

[10W]

Hi folks,

Thanks to the tremendous generosity of PPRuNer's ... and many others ... the Appeal is now sitting at £310K plus. For a one month period of fund raising, that is fan-fecking-tastic. Thank you all !!

Other non monetary offers have also been been made and for these, the family are very grateful indeed, and may call on them in the future as things progress.

Local and international interest in this cause has been truly amazing. And everyone on here who has made a donation, spread the word, or offered to help, .... you are all heroes and heroines. 110% without any doubt.

Thanks from everyone who is involved in the fund raising and looking after Vanessa and her family. The target of £500K seems daunting, yet we are already almost 2/3rds of the way towards it !! And many of you have played a part in this.

:ok:

[Potless]

I've put a poster up at my tower. Our christmas card charity donations went toward Vanessa's appeal, I update weekly the amount the fund has reached. I like to think others are doing similar, not just because of Taff; but, because that lovely little girl deserves the very best help to help her survive.

[10W]

Potless

That's a brilliant and extremely kind idea.

Thank you from the family. It's people like you, me, and our colleagues, who are making all the difference.

I will update soon with some of the things which have been going on locally, as well as internationally. At the moment, the fund is sitting at just under £400,000, which is amazing for 5 weeks !!

Well done, everyone. :ok:

[ATC Watcher]

Donation process via paypal worked fine. almost over 10.000 donnors I see.
Nice to see solidarity is still a nice word .All the best to a very coureagous girl !
I have one amost the same age...

[10W]

An update can be found on the link below.

Vanessa Riddle Appeal Update on PPRuNe Jet Blast (http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/474202-appeal-3.html#post7045880)

[10W]

The initial target of £500,000 was reached last night.

Well done everyone who contributed !! :ok:

[Avoiding_Action]

Fantastic news.

[Rule3]

Thanks to the efforts of a BIG HEARTED Scot in the Sandpit, several thousand quid were raised in the last week or two. Well done that man.:D

[WhatMeanPullUp]

Awww you're making me blush mate! We did what we could under the constraints that we have out here. Once all the money is in, I will send it to the appeal. Thanks for your donation and support. Go WEE V!!!! ;)

[cx101]

Long time lurker, first time poster (this is probably the single most important post I've seen on PPrune)

Am happy to donate a decent sum for this great cause. Can you please PM me to co-ordinate?

cheers

cx101

[10W]

I'm certain it's just poor journalism from the Daily Record, but the way this article is written suggests that the family are only thanking the donations made within Scotland! Vanessa Riddle Appeal passes £500k target in just seven weeks as family thank big-hearted Scots - The Daily Record
I'm certain that's not the case!


Yahoo!®

Have a look at post #22 :ok: I pointed this out to the Daily Record previously but they still are biased towards their Scottish readership.

cx101

PM on the way !!

[Spamcan defender]

Any update on Vanessa's treatment??

Spamcan

[10W]

A fair question and more than happy to provide an update.

First of all, as you might expect, the fund raising activities have slowed down and money now trickles in slowly. However, that is not unexpected, and neither is it a bad thing, since the fund is sitting at almost £850,000. All of this has been raised by ordinary people such as those here on PPRuNe. That sum of money is immense in any ones terms and has far exceeded the expectations of the family and the friends involved in the organisation of the appeal.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated or made an effort to assist.

That money is held by the charity and is solely used for medical expenses, as mentioned before. In the event that Vanessa does not require the full amount, anything extra is held in a ringfenced charity account for a time period, and after that is released either to the charity central funds or to another child's individual appeal. Not one penny is wasted or goes anywhere except towards medical expenses.

In terms of treatment, Vanessa attended hospital in London during most of May, receiving radiotherapy treatment. This went well and her 'hot spots' were much reduced, preparing her for further expensive treatment abroad. Whilst this was going on, her parents visited doctors in Germany who have been trying a new procedure which uses 'stem cells' to replace the damaged ones in the patients body. Although relatively new, the success rate has so far been very favourable and currently at a much higher rate of success than treatments available in the USA, albeit the sample rate is still very small in comparison. After discussions in Germany and advice from medical consultants in the UK, the family have decided to try Vanessa with treatment in Germany in the first instance. Travel and medical costs will of course be lower, but the decision has been made on medical grounds and not those of cost. They are gearing up for Vanessa to commence this treatment in Germany, commencing in August 2012. Whilst everyone hopes this treatment will be a complete success, doing it this way does not remove the possibility of attending further treatment in the USA (which uses a different method of treatment) should things not turn out as well as hoped. For that reason, the sum of £850K raised may indeed ALL be required to help save Vanessa.

Although her treatment has been completed for now, pending the trips to Germany, she has still not had an easy time. After London, all her antibodies and immunities had been destroyed and she picked up a serious infection which her body was unable to fight. This resulted in her being rushed to hospital in Glasgow, where she had a particularly severe reaction to the anti-biotics and drugs being used to treat her and was very seriously ill as a result. Fortunately, the medical staff were able to stabilise her and treat her over a week to kill all infection and get her fit again, but it was very scary for the family at the time.

Since then, Vanessa has continued to be a happy smiling 12 year old, taking part in many events with her schoolfriends and family.

If she can have another month or so without complications, the next battle with her disease will take place in Germany, where real progress can potentialy be made.

Thanks for the continued interest. The family are happy to answer questions, as best they can, at any time you have them.

[10W]

Hi folks,

The next step in Vanessa's journey has begun !!

With acknowledgement to the Daily Record who carried the story and have helped the Appeal immensely, and of course with thanks also due to everyone on PPRuNe who has helped as well !!

Vanessa is going to Germany !! (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/vanessa-riddle-is-going-to-germany-for-life-saving-1248366)

http://i2.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article1248357.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Vanessa+Riddle.jpg



BATTLING Vanessa Riddle is off to Germany tomorrow for life-saving treatment.

And the brave 12-year-old and her family yesterday thanked Daily Record readers for giving her the chance of survival.

Vanessa has been put through intensive treatment since she was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer neuroblastoma in 2009.

But her family are pinning their hopes of beating the disease once and for all on a stem cell transplant to be carried out in Germany.

They have raised £876,000 since launching their appeal to pay for the treatment – with a target of £500,000 – in January.

Vanessa’s dad Chris said yesterday: “It’s a fantastic achievement that we’ve now got here and it’s down to the dedication of the people of Scotland and the Record readers, who have helped us to raise the funds we need to access the treatment Vanessa deserves to get.

“Doctors have told us we have enough money to cover the treatment. It will be ringfenced for any future treatment Vanessa needs, then anything left over will go back into the charity to help others.”

The treatment will be carried out by Professor Peter Lang and his team at Tubingen Hospital, near Stuttgart.

Chris said: “Vanessa will start her treatment on Tuesday and this is why we did all the crazy fundraising. We’ve spoken with doctors and we’re now at the point where things have to happen.”

Vanessa has had a course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the UK since she suffered a relapse late last year.

She is currently, as far as the medical equipment in the UK can see, clear of the disease.

But doctors have told the family the chances of the UK treatment working in the long term are very small and it is likely that the cancer will just be held at bay for a time before returning.

Without treatment, they put her chances of survival at less than 10 per cent.

Chris said: “In December, when we were told Vanessa’s cancer had returned, doctors gave us the option of chemo in Scotland, radiation in London, a combination of both, or nothing.

“Doing nothing was heavily pushed on to us. The way they sell it to you is that the chances of it working are very small. We had to ask, ‘Do we really want to put Vanessa through it?’

“Vanessa is quite calm and cool about everything. We decided to go for it and she is OK. She didn’t have a great time but had we not put her through the treatment, she wouldn’t be here today.”

The family had at first considered seeking treatment in the US but decided on Germany after researching what would be best for Vanessa.

Chris said: “The German doctors presented a treatment that appeared to be a better fit for Vanessa at a meeting in early March.”

The initial treatment, which involves a stem cell transplant, will take two to three months, with follow-up visits to Germany for six months after that.

The process is not without dangers, but Chris and wife Connie are optimistic about Vanessa’s future once the operation has taken place.

He said: “The Germans have been doing this for a number of years with leukaemia patients and only started doing it in the past few years with neuroblastoma patients.

“They have treated 26 patients in three years, nine of whom have completed a whole programme. Six kids have responded very well and it has either cleared the disease completely or stopped it in its tracks.

“We are not looking at huge numbers, but fairly big percentages. A lot of people are talking about it in the medical profession.”

At her monthly follow-up visits, Vanessa will be given antibody therapy to bolster her immune system.

Chris said: “We hope this is the end of the treatment and that it will have the desired effect.

“Connie, Vanessa and myself are going over together to Germany while Olivia, our 16-year-old daughter will be staying at home.”


And a short update from her dad:

Vanessa is now booked into her hospital room in Germany. She had the tour of Tübingen yesterday and loved the town, she loved going in and out the shops with Connie and she had a lovely meal out last night which she really enjoyed.

Tomorrow she goes into theatre for an access line so the docs can give all her medicines easily, should be a breeze for her as she's been round this block many times before!

I'll keep you posted as we go folks......

Fingers crossed !!!

[10W]

Latest update from Vanessa's dad.

A little bit of an update on Vanessa folks.......

She's now on day 6 of her treatment here in Tübingen, Germany, so far all is going to plan, which is nice ;)

She had one day at the begining where she felt a bit rough, but since then all good. She has been getting her chemo for a couple of days now in preparation for her stem cell transplant which will take place in a week or so's time. Connie is the stem cell donor, and will have to get injections 3 x a day for a few days before donating her stem cells.....she's really happy about this!! ;)

Vanessa's very happy to be on her own in her hospital room, in fact she's positively delighted to be on her own, Connie and I get thrown out when her pals face time or Skype her! We've got to go and sit in the ward kitchen....boy chat me thinks!....wee minx ;)

Once again folks, I'll keep you posted as we progress....

Chris Riddle

[10W]

1st day of stem cell treatment !! :ok:

Well folks, the deed is done......wee V has today received fresh stem cells from Connie and the whole procedure went without a hitch, quite an experience really ;)

As reported yesterday, Connie gave her stem cells over 2 days (yesterday & today), a process which took some 12 hours to complete and proved to be quite taxing (for me!)......I think Connie was fine really and just wanted sympathy ;)

She donated what the Docs call a "Megadose" 14 Million Cells, which pretty much means what it says on the tin.....she made me tell you this folks!! :) It then took only 15 mins to give the 2 syringes to Vanessa!

This was the moment we had been waiting for. YOUR relentless fundraising efforts and fantastic donations have made this moment possible; it really was quite an experience watching the Docs infuse these cells!

We now sit and wait for Vanessa's new stem cells to graft to her body and begin to rebuild her a new immune system, a process which will take many weeks. As usual folks, I'll keep you posted on progress, but for now, all is GOOD ;)

Chris Riddle — at Kinderklinik Tübingen.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523612_514151348610610_1538824111_n.jpg

Connie donating stem cells.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/555479_514151588610586_1864363448_n.jpg

Half a Megadose !!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199122_514151765277235_1954434072_n.jpg

Wee V receives her gift of life, thanks to the generous donations of everyone.

[10W]

Some more updates from the family.

6th SEPTEMBER

Little bit of an update folks......Vanessa is now on day +9; i.e. 9days after getting Connie's 'Megadose' stem cells back! Connie made me say this again !! so far, all is still GOOD!

There have been a few days where she has felt poorly since Day 0, but the promised decline doesn't seem to have arrived, in fact her blood counts were very good today and would appear to be climbing, this is good news. Let's hope things continue going in this direction!

Her hair is now beginning to come out; however, she was expecting this and doesn't seem to be that bothered (outwardly anyway). She has a couple of hats that she'll be wearing when she gets a chance to go out for an hour or two.

Today for her breakfast, Vanessa had a "Bacon Sarnie", not your typical German breaky!! the doctors and nurses do think this is a bit odd, but secretly, i think would like one !!

Most days, the physiotherapist has been visiting to give Vanessa some exercises to do, step machine, bike and breathing exercises; keeps her strength up and breaks the boredom a little. I've been trying to get Connie on the bike for a wee pic, but she is resisting somewhat!!

The road ahead is still long and as usual, there is always that degree of uncertainty. However, we are very pleased with Vanessa's progress so far and will continue to keep you posted as we go.......thanks for reading folks ;)
— at Kinderklinik Tübingen


8th SEPTEMBER

Vanessa's blood counts were up today, have been for 3 days now; so the deal with the Docs is, she is allowed out for 1 hour !!

So, after 4 weeks cooped up in her hospital room, off we went to the Market Square on a lovely sunny day, she loved it! (almost as much as Connie & I!)........


https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/527208_494949777183585_114461216_n.jpg


TODAY - 13th SEPTEMBER

Good news folks...Vanessa has been discharged from hospital :) we are all delighted with this news as you can imagine.

Her response so far and her blood counts all point in the right direction, so the Docs decided to discharge her to stay at the charity house Connie and I stay at. She will attend the hospital most days to have bloods taken in order to monitor her progress, however, its great to think that this is a step closer to coming home!

This means the first phase of the treatment is going to plan. We are very aware that we have many months ahead with the next phase, the Antibody phase, however to get to this point without any major problems is a big relief.

Thanks again folks for your support on Face Book and on @vanessariddle (Vanessa's tw1tter feed) she is bowled over by all your comments, she really does love them all, keep the comments and support coming :) updates to follow.....(Chris)

Early days ... but going really well so far :ok:

[10W]

Wee V has been progressing fantastically well, so much so that she can come home for a while. First, an update from her dad, and then an article showing the kindness of people in making it all happen.

Well folks, some good news......wee V is on her way HOME!

The doctors are delighted with her progress so far, she seems to be rewriting the rule book over in Germany; she broke the record for getting discharged from the hospital after treatment, record had stood since 1996 the Docs said! SMASHED......She's a bloody fighter for sure.

She flys home on Thursday night. The flying part was a worry last week for Connie and I; all down to the fact that she has no T Cells in her body yet. Basically this means that she has no immune system and is susceptible to any infections (with potentially lethal consequences!) and as we all know the worst place to be in this position is a commercial airliner!

So, after a 2 day tw1tter campaign to find a private flight, we now have one! Yep, Air Charter Scotland & Jet Logic, 2 Scottish based aviation companies have donated a private jet (and the pilot and crew!) to fly her direct from Stuttgart to Prestwick Airport.......2 AMAZING companies for sure.

Connie and I are absolutely delighted that's she seems to be progressing so well, still many months of treatment to go, however, we're moving in the right direction for sure. I'll keep you posted and thanks for checking in.....

From the Daily Record

Beaming cancer fight girl Vanessa Riddle: My dad's jealous he won't be on my private jet home

THE Ayrshire youngster required a private flight home due to the fact her low immune system leaves her vulnerable to infection and local firm Jet Logic stepped in.

VANESSA RIDDLE was overjoyed last night as she was preparing to fly home by private jet.

The 12-year-old cancer battler, who has been receiving potentially life-saving stem cell treatment in Germany, tweeted: “I’m coming home on my own jet. WooooHooo.”

Record readers helped raise almost £900,000 for Vanessa’s treatment for neuroblastoma – and doctors are delighted with her progress since she had a stem cell transplant about four weeks ago.

But her immune system remains low, which could make her vulnerable to infection if she travels on a busy scheduled flight.

On Friday, we reported how her dad Chris tweeted followers to request a private jet to bring Vanessa home to Loans, Ayrshire.

His message was retweeted to multi-millionaires including Simon Cowell, Sir Richard Branson and Lord Alan Sugar and offers of help soon flooded in.

Yesterday, Chris revealed that Finnish F1 racing driver Heikki Kovalainen offered the family use of his private yet.

But in the end an offer from Ayrshire’s Jet Logic and East Kilbride’s Air Charter Scotland suited their needs best.

Chris said: “I couldn’t believe the response we got within just a few hours after the article appeared in the Daily Record.

“I also received a private message from Richard Branson saying he was unable to divert a flight for Vanessa but that he wanted to make a nice donation to our fund.”

Chris thanked Jet Logic and Air Charter Scotland for their “fantastic gesture”, adding: “It just shows how everyone in Scotland has got behind Vanessa.”

Vanessa will fly from Stuttgart airport’s private terminal with her mum Connie and granny Marie Holden tomorrow evening.

Her dad will be waiting at Prestwick, where they are due to touch down shortly after 7.15pm.

Vanessa tweeted her thanks to the companies who are providing the brand-new six-seater Cessna Citation, adding: “I think dad’s well jel that he’s not getting on it.”

Chris said: “Vanessa’s been winding me up and sent me a message saying she thought I’d be jealous.

We’re doing this for medical reasons but it’s nice that she will get a bit of comfort from it too.”

Jet Logic boss Leigh Wilson, whose dad works as an air traffic controller with Vanessa’s grandad, said: “I got a call on Friday evening from my sister asking if there was anything we could do.

“I spoke with Air Charter Scotland and we worked it out to get Vanessa home.

“We were happy to help because she is such an inspiration.”


Brilliant news and the generosity of everyone who has contributed to the Appeal, as well as the specific offers from Sir Richard Branson, Heikki Kovalainen, Air Charter Scotland, and Jet Logic, makes you feel proud to be part of the human race. Well done folks !!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523686_529873143705097_1586756341_n.jpg

Daily Record Story Here (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/beaming-cancer-fight-girl-vanessa-1357118)

[A2QFI]

This brave, tough young lady has put up with more medical trouble in her short life than many of us ever will in our 3 score years + 10. She is an inspiration and never seen without a smile! Well done and keep fighting

[Deeko01]

Hi 10W,

We all at Air Charter Scotland are looking forward to flying Vanessa and family home tomorrow, its for such a worthy cause so we really had to get involved.

Our call sign is EDC424V tomorrow with the V being for Vanessa!

Dep EDDS 1600 utc ETA at EGPK 1810 utc.

Listen out for the Saltire 424V :0)

Kind Regards
D

[mad_jock]

I reckon it will be DCT PIK somewhere south of GAM.

Safe flight Saltire

[Lon More]

If 10W contacts Maastricht DECO Sup I'm sure an even better direct can be obtained.

[10W]

Thanks everyone, I am sure we in the ATC world can do our bit to get the flight home as quickly as possible.

Deeko01

Long time no see. Great gesture from you guys and hopefully we can repay the favour some day !!

[Deeko01]

Hi Guys,

Vanessa now home having landed safely at 1818 UTC thank you ATC for the directs tonight which were very much appreciated!!

The family seemed to really enjoy the flight and it couldn't have gone any better.

10W, nice to hear from you hope you are well!!?

Kind Regards
D

[10W]

The VIP pax

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227572_531269016898843_958251859_n.jpg


Wee Vanessa ... and 'her' jet

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/8157_531269080232170_1841908793_n.jpg


Couldn't make the poor girl go home by bus, taxi, train, or her dad's car after arriving on a private jet, could we ? :) Fire up the Bentley ...


https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552726_531269460232132_415682225_n.jpg

[Daermon ATC]

Great news and great car! :ok:

[Take up the Hold]

Sitting having dinner in USA and a picture of Vanessa appeared on Fox News. Couldn't hear what was said though, maybe something about Twitter. Good to know that she still makes the news.

PF

[10W]

Here's the Fox News clip. Vanessa was trying to get 50,000 followers on Tw1tter before Xmas but the programme host heard about it and he wants to make it 100,000 :ok:

Vanessa Riddle - 100K Challenge - The Five 11/21/2012 - YouTube