Party thrown for seven-year-old girl after beating rare cancer
A SEVEN-year-old girl has been thrown a party to celebrate beating cancer after months of intense treatment.
Cleo Greig, of Cleator Moor, was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma - a rare cancer which only five children in the UK are diagnosed with each year.
Over the course of her treatment, Cleo underwent seven surgical procedures, 10 blood/platelet transfusions, 35 days of chemotherapy and had 74 overnight stays in hospital.
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Cleo was diagnosed in September last year and started treatment on October 4. Her final treatment was given on February 2 and she had a CT scan a few weeks later which showed she was cancer free.
Cleo Greig has finished her cancer treatment and is back at school full time (Image: Submitted)
She is now attending check-ups every six weeks and will be scanned every 12 weeks for the next 12 months. She will be under the care of the children's oncology team at the RVI in Newcastle until she is 18 and will need to attend annual check-ups until then.
To celebrate Cleo beating cancer, her family organised a 'Cleo kicked cancer' party at Moor Row Working Men's Club, which was attended by her football team, classmates and close family and friends.
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There was entertainment from Pet Encounter and BJ's Children's entertainment, food was supplied by Begh's Buffets and Keekle Cake Company donated 'the most beautiful' cake.
Cleo Greig at her party with a cake donated by Keekle Cake Company (Image: Submitted)
Cleo has also enjoyed a weekend at Center Parcs and a trip to Alton Towers.
Her mum, Ashleigh Greig said: 'We were over the moon to find out Cleo was cancer free, she'd been through a lot in such a short time, it was a bit surreal to think that our new 'norm' was coming to an end and we could actually return to our normal lives.
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'Living through treatment took its toll on the whole family. Cleo's brother Daley stayed with his Nannie and Granda while Cleo was in hospital so he missed us a lot while we were away, we were constantly exhausted from trips to Newcastle, overnight stays and having no routine. We couldn't plan anything because we didn't know how she would be day-to-day.
'Cleo has bounced right back. She is back at school full time, she's back at football training and her hair is growing back quickly. She's always on the go, she loves playing outside with her friends.
Cleo Greig at her party, with a snake from Pet Encounter (Image: Submitted)
'She was an absolute star throughout the treatment, the only time we heard her complain was when she was hungry and she wanted something extra specific. She made the experience a lot easier on us because of her strength and no nonsense attitude towards everything.'
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In March, Wath Brow Hornets ARLFC held 'A Game for Cleo' and the money was donated to Crawford House, which is run by the Sick Children's Trust. It supports families with a child being treated at the RVI by giving them a place to stay.
Ashleigh said they wanted to give back following the support the family had received after Cleo's diagnosis. Thousands of pounds were donated to a GoFundMe page set up by Cleo's Godmother, Lauren Tyson.
Cleo celebrated with friends, family and her football teammates (Image: Submitted)
Ashleigh said: 'Being stuck on the ward is very hard, it's awful to see young children going through a horrible time but charities and ward staff go above and beyond to keep their spirits up and there's lots of fun activities provided to keep them entertained.
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'It costs the charity £40 per room per night to house families of sick children, and we worked out that it would have cost just under £3,000 to house us during Cleo's treatment.
'We wanted to raise at least £5,000 to pay for a room for six months but the community went above and beyond and we managed to raise £15,000, which will pay for a room for 18 months.
Wath Brow Hornets held 'A Game for Cleo' (Image: Submitted)
'We have also held other little events that have allowed us to be in a position to donate over £2,000 to Children's Cancer North - the main charity that provides the children with activities on the ward.
'We would like to thank the whole west Cumbrian community for all the donations, well wishes and amazing events that have been held in Cleo's name over the last six months. The family couldn't have gotten through it without their support. It's been overwhelming and is very much appreciated.'
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