Gracie went to Jacksonville, Florida in April 2014 for Proton beam therapy. This was part of her treatment for Rhabdo on the NHS, because of the location of her tumor, it meant she was unable to have the standard Radio treatment in the UK due to the side effects this would have on her development.

The team in America, were amazing, from our consultant, Dr Danny, to the play workers, Kim and Heather. The facility was fantastic, and we received the best care, nothing was too much. We were given our own apartment, about 10 mins from the hospital, our own car, it really felt like we were living there. The complex where we stayed had a gym, a pool (which Gracie even managed to go in, in a blow up boat, as she couldn't swim due to her central line), a basket ball court and a great management team who even organized a pool party, american style whilst we were there for all the residents. 

We were there for just over 8 weeks, Gracie did very well with the treatment, considering she had to have general anesthetic (GA) every day for around 5 weeks. As she managed to tolerate the treatment, as well as the two rounds of chemo we had whilst we were there, we were able to enjoy our time in Florida. From the wonderful beach where we saw Dolphins swimming, to gator spotting, to the theme parks, we had a great time and made some wonderful memories. 

XOX