Evie, 11, looks to make memories including own prom night as she battles incurable cancer
“It’s very important to make memories with my friends and family”
An 11-year-old girl with a rare form of incurable cancer has made a wish list of the dreams she would like to see come true and the memories she wants to make in the time she has left.
Biddick Academy pupil Evie Owens was diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue childhood cancer, in June 2024.
Evie has bravely battled the disease for two-and-a-half years, undergoing four bouts of chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy.
In September, Evie, from Washington, began her latest round of chemotherapy, which doctors have told her is realistically her last treatment option.
Evie’s mother, Tara Owens, 42, said: “Evie’s cancer has spread throughout her body and the cancer is beginning to find ways around the treatments. There’s only 55 people a year diagnosed with this cancer and she is not eligible for clinical trials as you need to have a certain period without chemotherapy to qualify and by the time this elapsed her cancer would be too far gone.”
Evie, Tara and her stepdad Mark have launched a GoFundMe page to help make Evie’s wish list come true, as well as providing financial support to “make memories”, with Tara already Evie’s full carer and Mark facing the prospect of having to take an unpaid leave of absence from work.
Tara said: “We thought we had more time, but our focus is now on giving Evie exactly what she deserves. Evie deserves to be a child, she deserves to shop with her friends, laugh until her stomach hurts, go places she has always wanted to go, spend time with the people she loves, and make every memory possible.
“Evie has missed out on so much during her cancer battle. The fundraising would help us do as many of the things a normal family would plan on doing with their children, but in a much shorter time.
“These memories are also important for us to hold onto when the time comes. We just want to give Evie the life she deserves.”
Ahead of Evie’s 12th birthday on October 2, her family are hoping to giver a prom night to remember with a sparkling dress and chauffeur driven limousine to an event for family and friends.
Tara added: “Evie won’t get to experience her own Year 11 prom, and so we want to make sure she still gets her own prom night.”
Describing her wish list, Evie said: “It’s very important to make memories with my friends and family. I would like to go to Disneyland Paris and to go and see the sights in the city.
“I would also like to go horse riding and to experience a drive in a supercar such as a Ferrari. I would like to go on a shopping trip to the Trafford Centre in Manchester and to ride in a horse and carriage to my prom night.”
Tara added: “Until you’re in that hospital, you don’t realise just how many children are battling cancer and how little wider support is out there. I would say to any parent, hold your kids close whilst you can as don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”
Anyone who can help Evie and her family are urged email [email protected] or donate to her fundraising page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/evie-stronger-than-the-storm