Anonymous donor to pay for Megan’s treatment in US

A DONOR has come forward and offered to pay for the specialist US treatment needed to save the life of three-and-a-half year-old Cork girl Megan Malone.

After being diagnosed in October with medulloblastoma, a highly malignant primary brain tumour, Megan, from Kilnamartyra in Co Cork, flew to New York last week where she is reported to be responding well to treatment.

The Malone family had earlier dismissed reports that €300,000 had been provided by an anonymous donor.

However, since that rumour surfaced, a benefactor who has asked not to be named, has come forward offering to cover the cost of Megan’s treatment.

The little girl’s medical bills could run as high as €300,000 depending on how she responds to the treatment at New York’s Presbyterian Children’s Hospital.

Brave Megan had been undergoing chemotherapy at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin but the prognosis for her survival in Ireland was less than 20%.

The Oncology and Radiology team in Ireland have never treated a child so young with this type of tumour and treatment is only available in the US.

Megan’s father John had been in touch with specialists in New York who have expressed confidence that they can treat her.

It was also discovered that the toddler has multiple brain tumours and the cancer has now spread to the spine and the rest of the brain. The condition is so rare that only two children in Ireland a year are diagnosed with such grade four tumours.

Despite the disruptive cold spell here, the Malone family left Dublin Airport for New York last Thursday and, after resting overnight, Megan underwent an MRI scan on Friday morning.

Megan’s treatment commenced earlier this week and the toddler is reported to be “responding well.”

Megan’s parents, John and Sheila and their three other children, the family babysitter and a HSE nurse, have all travelled to the US.

Megan’s baby brother, Tristan, was born just days before her family received the news of her dire diagnosis.

While a campaign was launched to raise funds for Megan’s treatment, following the generous offer from the ‘third-party donor’, a board of trustees has been appointed to manage the funds already collected by the Megan Malone Trust.

A family spokesperson said: “We have just received confirmation that the treatment costs for Megan, in the USA, will be covered by a third-party donor.

“A board of trustees has been appointed to manage all funds within the trust.

“We would like to thank everyone for the incredible generosity shown to date and for your continued support for Megan.”

* An account has been established at Ulster Bank Ballincollig, account number 10117900, sort code 985482.

A website has also been set up at www.meganmalonetrust.org while almost 2,500 supporters have joined the Megan Malone Trust Facebook page in the past three weeks.