Fundraiser to help Hastings schoolgirl who has ‘extremely rare’ form of cancer

Angel, 13, was living a happy life, enjoying school, dancing and making TikTok videos with her friends. But in December last year, she suffered from a sudden, unexplained seizure and became unconscious for 40 minutes.

After an MRI scan, her mother Kelly Harfield was told the devastating news that a tumour had been found in Angel’s brain, and would need to be removed immediately.

On February 3, Angel had a six-hour operation to remove the tumour. Kelly said: “I got to hold her hand as she fell asleep and then left the theatre and just had to hope and pray she would be okay. Six hours later, a nurse told me the operation was a success and that I could finally go to her. The pure relief that hit us all at hearing those words was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

“Angel spent the next few days in hospital recovering and boy did she recover fast! All the doctors and nurses were astounded because she had no neuro deficits, no complications and was up and walking the very next day! She amazed us all. On February 7, we were allowed to take her home while waiting for the biopsy results.

“When we came home, it was like nothing ever happened! Angel was back to playing Fortnite, doing TikToks, having friends over, it was amazing! We all enjoyed having our family back together.”

Then, on February 11, they returned to King’s College Hospital in London, and a surgeon told them Angel had a Diffuse Hemispheric Glioma (H3K27M) tumour. “He went on to explain that this type of tumour is highly aggressive and extremely rare,” said Kelly. “Only a handful of people have ever had it in this part of the brain in medical history. Due to this cancer being so rare, they don’t know if they can cure it or control it - they are just going to hit it with everything and hope.”

Kelly added: “Honestly at that point I just went numb. How and why is this happening to my daughter?! They told us that Angel would need chemotherapy and radiation every day for at least six weeks and that it would be done as an outpatient.”

The hospital they will have to go to every day is The Royal Marsden in Sutton, Surrey, 64 miles from their home in Hastings.

Kelly’s best friend Bethany Ansell has started a GoFundMe page to help them pay for the travel costs and hospital stays. It has so far raised more than £2,000. “We have already spent the last two months travelling to and from different hospitals in different locations and honestly, we are financially running on empty, we have no idea how to even afford the travel expenses, let alone anything else involved with this battle,” said Bethany. “Angel is likely to become very poorly in the coming months, and having the extra worry of finances while this treatment is so critical is just so soul destroying. We need to be able to focus our energy in supporting Angel through her upcoming battle, so we are reaching out and asking for as much help as we can get to help to see her through.

“If anybody feels like they would be able to donate even just a £1, we would be truly grateful. Any money we can raise will be used solely to help Angel, to get to and from the hospital, to buy her food and supplies whilst travelling and receiving treatment. Angel is desperate to just go back to school and be around her friends, enjoying life again. Please help us to support her, to make sure she can get all of the treatment that she needs and to help her to have the best chance she can to win this battle and make it back to school.”

Kelly has launched a Facebook page - with daily updates on Angel’s progress - called @Angels Battle

People can donate to Angel’s GoFundMe page BY CLICKING HERE