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The parents of a two-year-old boy battling stage four cancer have appealed for help to send him to the US for treatment.

Gerard and Stacey Melaugh’s son Caolan was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at just 10 weeks.

He endured 15 months of chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell transplant, radiotherapy and six months of immunotherapy at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin.

Stacey, 28, from Finn Valley, Co Donegal, said: “In June last year we got the news Caolan’s scans were all clear and we were absolutely over the moon.

“But little did we know what was going to happen a few short months later.

“We had initially fundraised to get Caolan onto a preventative trial in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“He started this trial on July 1, less than a month later.

“On a routine trip there in September 2016, Caolan had a seizure and after further tests it showed he had relapsed, the

cancer was now affecting his brain.

“This led to two life-saving brain surgeries there. It broke my heart getting that news.”

But Stacey added Caolan “is a fighter”. She said: “He has amazed everyone with how much he has clung to life.”

Stacey added they managed to gather a large portion of the €200,000 needed to pay the bill for the operations. However, she added: “But now we are facing the uphill mountain of having to go to the US for treatment. We actually don’t have any money left and that is the truth.

“Caolan is currently on chemotherapy in Crumlin. However, this is the only treatment they have to offer here which will sadly not be enough. We don’t want to lose our beautiful boy.”

To support Caolan visit www.gofundme.com/little-caolan-treatment-fund.