£400k bill for wee Oscar's treatment

Published Monday, 29 October 2012
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The family of wee Oscar Knox are facing huge medical bills after the four-year-old returned home from an American hospital.

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Oscar is battling neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, and had flown to Philadelphia for treatment earlier this month.

But doctors there discovered the little Belfast boy also has a heart condition and the immunotherapy was ruled out.

Three weeks after the Knox family went to America, they travelled back to Belfast on air ambulance.

It costs thousands of pounds for wee Oscar to go to Philadelphia for the treatment, which was hoped could give him an extra chance at survival. Now they are facing medical bills of up to £400,000 for his treatment.

Much of their cash was raised through fundraising and the little boy has received support from many of Northern Ireland's famous faces.

Olympic gold medallist and Belfast boxer Paddy Barnes spoke to Oscar on Monday. He described the little boy as "a wee fighter".

"I told him that I'm going to teach him to box when he grows up. He said he's going to beat me," Paddy told UTV. He added the Knox family must be devastated that wee Oscar was not a good candidate for the immunotherapy.

"He's still going, it's not the end of the road for wee Oscar," he said.

"I know the family spent most of that money on the treatment and there still needs to be lots of fund raising going on to support him again."

Wee Oscar was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children. The Knox family said although the trip had not gone the way they had hoped, they were "pleased to be home safe and well".

But once again, the family's minds turn to raising funds for their sick little boy.

© UTV News
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2 Comments
Fidelma McGroary in Philadelphia wrote (201 days ago):
Oscar so glad you made it home safe and sound but we miss you here. You will always be a huge part of our lives here in Havertown, PA. Love you Lots, Fidelma
Barry in Broughshane wrote (202 days ago):
How about our Mla's step forward and donate some of their wages for this wee man?? If they didn't blow so much money on the past kids like this would have a bright future, and the family wouldn't have to leave their home country to seek treatment as it would be here.
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