A toddler who is in recovery from an operation to reduce the size of her tongue has been diagnosed with cancer.
Nori Hannon was born with the rare Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome – a congenital growth disorder which can affect the size of different body parts – in January 2022.
She spent four weeks in a neonatal intensive care unit and was diagnosed with the syndrome due to her enlarged tongue and kidneys.
Nori, from Feniscowles, has gone through two major operations to reduce the size of her tongue, the latest being on September 20. Since then, she has been speaking a lot more and is able to eat more foods and close her mouth.
Due to her high risk of kidney cancer, Nori is scanned every three months and the last scan, during her recovery from her operation, showed that she had the disease.
READ MORE: Mum of baby with rare condition raising money for life-changing tongue surgery
A fundraising page has been set up by Natalie Parker, Nori’s aunt, to help parents Alex and Hayley during the tough time.
Natalie said: “The day we have been dreading since we found out Nori had Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome was upon us yesterday – Nori has cancer.
“She has what looks to be bilateral Wilms tumours in both her kidneys. She is to start a course of chemotherapy treatment straight away which will last for 12 months, including surgery to remove the tumours halfway through her treatment.
“The next year is going to be extremely worrying and tough for the whole family. During this time, we want to ensure that Hayley and Alex do not have the added stress of worrying about paying the bills – any money raised will help take this stress away and let Hayley and Alex focus on Nori.”
READ MORE: Secret Santa fundraiser in memory of late Blackburn woman
One man who is already gearing up for a fundraising challenge is Paul Coote.
Paul, 37, originally from Blackburn but now living in Bamber Bridge, is set to undertake a burpee challenge on Saturday, December 2.
Starting at 8am, Paul, a window cleaner by day, will do burpees around a track for 24 hours straight, pushing himself to the extreme.
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Paul said: “Nobody likes burpees, so I thought while I’m able to do it, why not use my ability to help people?
“The story touched me so much I felt like I needed to do something. I’ve done challenges before, I like to push myself to the edge. I took a rower up to the top of Scafell Pike, rowed 10k up there, and carried it back down. Just to push myself.
“It’s going to be very extreme because you can’t prep for burpees. I don’t care how fit you are, how mentally ready you are.”
Paul is hoping to complete the challenge on a track and is currently in contact with Witton Park Arena, but there is no confirmed location for the challenge yet.
The fundraiser currently has a target of £30,000. If you would like to donate, visit www.gofundme.com and search ‘Love for Nori’.
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