Girl’s cancer treatment ‘best Christmas present’

Media captionJack Savoretti offers help to girl with cancer

A girl’s Christmas wish to receive a new cancer treatment has been granted after an anonymous donor helped her campaign reach its funding target.

Anna Drysdale, eight, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, when she was five years old.

Her family launched a crowdfunding page four months ago to pay for immunotherapy treatment in New York to prevent the cancer returning.

Their £460,000 target was reached after “an incredible anonymous donation”.

Anna’s mother Keeley, from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, said the family “just couldn’t believe it” when they heard of the funding.

“We wondered, is it true? Is it really happening? It’s definitely the best Christmas present we could ever have wished for,” she added.

Image caption Anna Drysdale will travel across the Atlantic for treatment in the new year

Anna’s campaign hit the headlines when Oxfordshire-based singer Jack Savoretti backed her campaign.

Other stars, including Lewis Capaldi, Ricky Astley, Jo Whiley and Olly Murs also gave their support.

Anna was first diagnosed in February 2017 and is currently in remission for a second time.

Her family said the risk of the cancer returning was “extremely high and very likely”, which is why they started their campaign for her to get new preventative treatment, which costs $500,000 (£386,600), at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Anna will head to New York for the treatment in the new year.