Family who raised almost £300,000 to fly cancer-suffering daughter, 5, to U.S. for specialist treatment now told she has just weeks to live

  • Ruby Owen was flown to the US twice for therapy not available on the NHS
  • She was given the all-clear in 2010 following treatment for a brain tumour

By Larisa Brown for the Daily Mail

Published: | Updated:

The family of a five-year-old girl who was given the all-clear following treatment for a brain tumour have now been told she has just weeks to live.

Despite raising almost £300,000 to fly their daughter twice to the U.S. for specialist radiation therapy, the devastated family have been told her cancer has returned.

Ruby Owen was given the all-clear in 2010 following the treatment in the U.S. which is not available on the NHS.

Heartbroken: Ruby Owen, who has just weeks to live, pictured with her mother Rachel and her father Martin

Heartbroken: Ruby Owen, who has just weeks to live, pictured with her mother Rachel and her father Martin

Cancer-sufferer: Little Ruby Owen
Doctors had discovered more tumours despite the youngster having just returned from 10 weeks of radiation therapy

Doctors had discovered more tumours despite the youngster, pictured, having just returned from therapy

But her heartbroken father Martin, 42, revealed today that doctors had discovered more tumours despite the youngster having just returned from 10 weeks of radiation therapy.

Martin posted a message on a Facebook group that had previously been used to raise money for his daughter’s treatment revealing there was nothing more doctors could do for Ruby.

In the heart-wrenching post, Martin spoke of the ‘unbearable pain’ experienced by himself and wife Rachel, 40, after learning the devastating news.

He wrote: 'Ruby’s scan was not the best result they think it has come back again its so hard for me to tell you all this as the pain is unbearable.

'Our little girl has never done anything to anybody and does not deserve this.'

Martin went on to thank the group’s 14,000 members for their support since Ruby was diagnosed with cancer.

He wrote: 'Your support over the last 3 1/2 years has been nothing short of phenomenal. It pains me to tell you that ruby’s (C word) has come back and there is nothing they can do for her this time.

'They have said it will only be weeks not months. our hearts have been torn in two yet again we are doing our best to stay strong.

Ruby's family raised almost £300,000 to fund specialist radiation treatment for their daughter in the USA not available on the NHS

Ruby's family raised almost £300,000 to fund specialist radiation treatment for their daughter in the USA not available on the NHS

Still smiling: A Facebook group of 14,000 members have showed their support for Ruby since she was diagnosed with cancer

Still smiling: A Facebook group of 14,000 members have showed their support for Ruby since she was diagnosed with cancer

'We would just like to say thank you to each and every one of you for all that you have given, time and money, to help keep our baby girl as well as she has been.'

Ruby was last night being cared for in a hospice near the family’s home in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent.

She was first diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of cancer in 2009.

A year later the girl was flown to the U.S. to undergo a course of proton treatment after her family and friends raised £170,000.

Ruby was given the all-clear and returned to the UK with her parents.

Tragically, in February this year medics discovered a second tumour and Ruby’s family raised a further £120,000 to send her back to America for the treatment.

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