Community comes together to fundraise for 'real-life superhero' Nahyan's treatment
Nahyan Javed, 5, was diagnosed with a rare and agressive form of cancer last year.
The community of Navan has come together to help raise funds for a young boy battling a rare form of cancer.
Nahyan Javed, who is just five years old, was diagnosed with metastatic neuroblastoma (NB) - a very rare and aggressive form of the disease - in May of last year.
Since his diagnosis, Nahyan has been on an 18-month treatment plan which has seen him undergo a stem cell transplant, surgery and radiation therapy.
He is now undergoing immunotherapy, the final stage of his treatment here.
Nahyan has high-risk stage 4 NB cancer, which has a survival rate of just 40%.
Once his treatment here is complete, there remains a 60% chance of relapse.
“We have been to hell and back. Nothing about this journey has been easy,” said Nahyan’s father, Naveed.
“My real-life superhero Nahyan has fought this battle with courage and strength and tears and pain.”
With Nahyan in the final stage of his treatment here in Ireland, his family are now trying to get him on a specialist vaccine trial in the US.
The Bivalent Vaccine trial at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City is the only such pediatric tumor vaccine in the world.
If a child as young as Nahyan were to relapse, there is no known cure or treatment that has been proven to work.
Unfortunately, the specialist trial in the US is quite costly, but Nahyan’s family and friends are determined to raise the €375,000 necessary for their little hero’s treatment.
Now, with the blessing of Nahyan’s family, a group of neighbours, friends and supporters have set up the 'Nahyan’s High 5 Campaign' to help the family reach their goal.
The group has already set up a GoFundMe page, and with the support of the local Navan community, almost €85,000 has been raised so far.
The group now hopes to take Nahyan’s cause to the nation.
As you read this, three young men from the Meath town - Jack Dechant, Joe Garvey and Ross Cunniffe - are doing their part to build awareness of Nahyan’s plight by sleeping outside the Dáil.
The trio began their fundraiser on Monday, and they plan to stay outside Government buildings until Friday.
Aside from the sleep-out, they have also been running five kilometres each day for Nahyan. They also completed a swim-cycle-run triathlon this past Saturday helping to raise more than €12,000.
The group say that they will keep fundraising and building awareness for little Nahyan for as long as they need to.
The Navan community and Javed family are now asking people to donate what they can to help Nahyan.
"He is still fighting this monster every day and has developed countless long-term side effects from the treatment but still we have no other option but to keep going," said Naveed.
"Please help us give Nahyan a second chance at life. He has been through so much already."
