Brave Kelvin facing major operation

Little Kelvin Brady from Lisdrumskeagh, Shercock, celebrated his third birthday on Tuesday of this week and the brave little boy who is battling with cancer is expected to undergo a major operation in the Children's Hospital in Crumlin within the next week or two. His mother Ellen told The Anglo-Celt this week that his blood platelet count has to be at up the correct level to allow the operation to proceed. Little Kelvin who loves singing country music was looking forward to meeting the King of County Music Big Tom McBride as a special birthday treat and getting some photographs taken. "I purchased a Big Tom DVD at Christmas and Kelvin keeps listens to it non stop," said Ellen. A cancerous tumour was found near one of his kidneys and his doting parents, Ellen and Glen, said their entire world of family delight has been turned upside down ever since last September. The tumour is connected to his adrenal gland, which is just above the kidney and it is not known if the large and aggressive tumour is attached to one of his kidneys at this stage. It is known as a neuroblastoma tumour. Ellen says it is most likely he will get a transfusion either this week or the week after and then the operation will proceed. He is finished with the chemotherapy and his appetite has improved and he is doing really well. The operation is designed to remove the tumour from that adrenal gland and he will require more intensive chemotherapy after the operation. His blood platelet count has been dropping in recent times and that count has to be up at 100. He will be in Crumlin for about eight weeks and four days after the surgery. He will have his bone marrow cells removed and put in a freezer. Then intensive chemotherapy will proceed and when that procedure is complete, the bone marrow cells will be put back in place. His overall treatment after the operation will continue for about two years. He will receive his radiation treatment in St Luke's Hospital after the operation. Some amazing fundraising efforts have been going on in the background and a total of €22,000 was raised at the Tierworker charity dance and it also includes generous donations from people all over the place. Kelvin's father Glen said both himself and his wife Ellen were devastated when they received the news about the cancerous tumour. They are looking on the bright side, while being faced with great adversity and agreed that where there is life, there is hope. Ellen said the only good news they had received was the fact that it had not spread to his bone marrow. The committee tasked with organising fundraising events for Baby Kelvin includes Enda Heery, Sheila Heery, Jimmy Maher and Nancy Clarke. Nancy informed that they are in the process of mounting further fundraising drives in the coming months. A special Baby Kelvin Brady account has been established in Bailieboro Credit Union, so all you have to do if you wish to donate to the fund, is just drop into the office and the staff will do the rest. The Credit Union has already started off the fund with a generous donation.