Young brothers urgent cycle mission from Blackpool to Garstang to raise money for friend's life saving treatment

Bicycling brothers from Garstang are taking part in a sponsored ride next month to raise money for a young girl diagnosed with a rare brain tumour.
Emilio and Lucas Fallon, aged 11 and eight, will ride the 20-mile-journey from Blackpools Central Pier to Garstang with their parents Alastair and ClaudiaEmilio and Lucas Fallon, aged 11 and eight, will ride the 20-mile-journey from Blackpools Central Pier to Garstang with their parents Alastair and Claudia
Emilio and Lucas Fallon, aged 11 and eight, will ride the 20-mile-journey from Blackpools Central Pier to Garstang with their parents Alastair and Claudia
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The family hope to raise around £1,000 to help pay for medical treatment for four-year-old Isabella Ortiz from Cheshire, whose dad Victor was a university pal of Claudia when they both lived in Colombia, South America.

The tumour, for which there is no known cure, is still growing and will mean Isabella may soon not be able to walk, swallow, move her arms, eat and talk. Eventually she be unable to breathe.

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The youngster may only have months left to live unless her dad, and mum Assunta, raise £350,000 to send her for pioneering experimental treatment in Mexico.

Prompted by the urgency of Isabella’s plight the Fallon family will be completing their sponsored ride on Saturday, March 10.

Their journey will take them from Blackpool to Skippool and, via Shard Bridge, to Hambleton, Out Rawcliffe and Nateby to Garstang.

The Fallons are already keen cyclists, with dad Alistair, a website developer, and mum Claudia, a Spanish teacher, both keeping fit at a Garstang gym. Emilo, is member of Preston Pirates BMX Club, while brother Lucas, is a junior member of Garstang Rugby Club. Both lads are pupils at SS Mary and Michaels Catholic School, Bonds.

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Isabella suffers from DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) a tumour located in the pons area of the brain, where vital functions of the body including mobility, speech, eyesight, hearing, taste, and balance are located.

She is having chemotherapy at Liverpool’s Alder Hey Hospital but her condition appears to be progressing, and she has recently developed a limp.

Dad Victor said “Isabella is very easy going, she is so young she doesn’t ask questions and doesn’t even know she is ill. She is very happy and giggles all the time. She is cheeky and loves playing as a princess.”

Writing on Isabella’s fundraising (the Princess Isabella Appeal - Together fighting cancer) page her parents say: “While we are exploring and searching for any potential treatment globally, and having exhausted all options under the NHS, it appears that the Intra-arterial and immunotherapy, currently offered in Mexico, provides the longest life expectancy, compared to other treatment available elsewhere.”

For more details about Isabella contact Graciela Lemos on [email protected] or via her Facebook page.