Parents fight for sick Rosie
A NEWMARKET couple, whose baby daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer two months ago, have been told they cannot get any financial help to support them during her treatment.
Shane Meekings and Lucy Gaynor, of George Lambton Avenue, applied for a disability living allowance on the recommendation of Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, where their 10-monthold daughter Rosie is having chemotherapy every three weeks for Retinoblastoma – a genetic tumour in her right eye.
But the Department of Work and Pensions, which considers applications, turned the couple down after claiming Rosie did not need any more care than other babies her age.
Their care worker at Addenbrooke's has appealed the decision on their behalf and they are now waiting for a final response, which could take up to 11 weeks.
The money, at least 18 a week, would help them with regular travelling costs to three different hospitals, including the Royal London Hospital every six weeks, while Rosie is undergoing treatment.
"Our care worker couldn't believe we had been turned down but she said it can happen," said Miss Gaynor, who was forced to give up her job after Rosie was diagnosed with cancer in October.
"The allowance is for Rosie to help cover the costs of going back and forth.
At the drop of a hat, we sometimes need to rush her to hospital for transfusions.
"I've always worked and obviously I can't at the moment and we are just trying to get a little bit of help from somewhere,"
The couple, who also look after Miss Gaynor's four-year-old son Jake, have been told Rosie will need regular checkups in London for the next five years once the tumour has been given the all-clear.
They discovered Rosie had the disease, which only accounts for three per cent of all cancers in children aged under 15, after noticing an abnormality in her eye from a photograph.
Although Mr Meekings, who works as a stock controller in Sudbury, has been doing overtime to earn extra money, the couple are still struggling because Miss Gaynor is unable to go back to work while Rosie is ill.
She said they could not put their daughter in a nursery as she was susceptible to infections and her temperature needed to be checked every two hours.
The pair are planning to write to their MP Richard Spring.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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