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- By PJ Taylor, Eastern Times
Aucklanders keep donating to courageous Hugo Donaldson’s cancer treatment fund, and this weekend, people have a chance to continue supporting the cause by buying his mum’s beautiful photographs.
Money from sales of pictures taken by Samantha Donaldson at the pop-up gallery fundraising show will go towards paying for potential life-saving treatment Hugo needs in the United States to fight his rare Stage 4 Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma.
The Times has reported this year on Hugo’s battle with the rare and aggressive childhood cancer that afflicts just one to three children in New Zealand each year.
The Auckland community and people around the country have been supporting the family’s online Givealittle page, as they require a $500,000 fund to get Hugo and his parents, Samantha and dad Aaron, to a CAR T-cell clinical trial at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.
As of Wednesday, November 12, $397,145 had been given by 5875 generous donors in 26 days.
The pop-up fundraising gallery of Samantha’s photographic works is being held in the Donaldsons’ hometown of Beachlands today and tomorrow and is organised by Kate Riley.
“I’m lucky enough to call Samantha my friend, and she’s a phenomenally talented photographer,” says Riley.
“All of Samantha’s photographs are printed on professional art paper and look stunning.
“We have A4-sized prints starting at $40 and a selection of Samantha’s work on A2 and A1, framed and ready to take home after the event.
“We’ll also be giving people the opportunity to order prints on the day at different sizes. All at incredibly competitive price points.
“The selection of prints will include stunning New Zealand landscapes, gorgeous New York street scenes, and beautiful floral still-lifes,” Riley says.
“Even though the pop-up gallery is running to raise important money for Hugo, we want people to see the event as a time to come together and enjoy the work of an incredibly talented photographer who just happens to be our very own local and friend.
“There’s no obligation to buy. We will have drinks and nibbles and would love everyone to be part of a lovely atmosphere, enjoying an art gallery on their doorsteps,” Riley says.
Of the pop-up gallery, Samantha says: “I’m so excited to showcase my work and incredibly grateful to Kate for organising this.
“Having this exhibition turn into something that also helps our family is really humbling.
“We’re so thankful for the love and support that’s been wrapped around us by our amazing community, and I hope people can come along and enjoy the event.”
Hugo was recently accepted into a pioneering cancer trial at Texas Children’s Hospital led by Dr David Steffin, the associate chief of the Cell Therapy and Bone Marrow Transplant Programme.
The 11-year-old is one of only eight children worldwide who is eligible to receive the treatment.
“Hugo has fought so hard, but the cancer keeps coming back,” says Aaron. “This trial represents his best and perhaps only chance at survival.
“This is our last shot. We hate having to ask for help, but if there’s a chance this trial could save Hugo’s life, we have to try.”
Dr Steffin says the clinical trial is the only one of its kind globally for treating solid tumours using CAR T-cell therapy.
“We’ve welcomed patients from across the United States, Europe and New Zealand, all facing cancers that conventional treatments can no longer control.
“What makes this approach so promising is that the specific marker we target exists on tumour cells but not on healthy tissue, which allows us to attack the cancer without causing unnecessary harm.
“Over the past several years, we’ve worked to make these cells stronger and more effective, and we’re now seeing some remarkable outcomes, with children who have undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy now back at school and living their lives again.
“The progress we’re seeing is extraordinary,” says Dr Steffin.
“My hope is that solid tumours will one day follow the same path as leukaemia and lymphoma, where durable cures and long-term remission become the norm, not the exception.”
The Donaldson family has full medical insurance, but its policy doesn’t cover medical care abroad.
They’ve applied to withdraw funds from KiwiSaver, extended their mortgage and are selling assets, but without the public’s continued financial assistance, they worry Hugo won’t be able to get treatment in time.
Hugo’s treatment involves sending his blood samples from New Zealand to Texas Children’s Hospital, where scientists modify his T-cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
The treatment is free as part of the trial, but US hospital care, travel, and living costs must be paid upfront. That’s the reason why $500,000 is required to make the trip happen.
- To donate to Hugo Donaldson’s Givealittle page, go to: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/the-donaldsons-continue-to-fight
- The Pop-Up Gallery of Samantha Donaldson’s photographic works is at The Shed, Ray White, 81 Second View Avenue, Beachlands, on Friday, November 14, 4-7pm; and on Saturday, November 15, 12-6pm, and entry is free.
