Fifteen Weeks Home: Help Us Make Maya’s 13th Birthday Magical 🎂

Fifteen Weeks Home… Help Us Make Maya’s 13th Birthday Magical 🎂

For anyone who’s new to our journey, Maya came home on 30th March after spending five long months in Great Ormond Street Hospital [GOSH]. She’d been admitted on 28th October 2025 for CAR T-cell therapy following her third relapse of stage IV high-risk neuroblastoma.

The treatment that was meant to destroy her cancer almost destroyed her instead.

Maya developed severe Cytokine Release Syndrome, Grade 4 ICANS (brain inflammation), HLH and, as a result, an acquired brain injury.

13th July. marks fifteen weeks since she came home. Ten days until Maya’s birthday!

And she still can’t walk.

She still can’t run.

Those words never get any easier to write.

Watching your child desperately want to stand up and simply go where she wants is heartbreaking. But if there’s one thing Maya has taught me, it’s that determination comes in many forms.

On Monday 1st June, Maya started her neuro-rehabilitation placement at The Children’s Trust in Tadworth (Surrey). As a family, we felt hopeful, terrified and completely exhausted all at the same time. After everything she’d survived, we’d finally reached the stage where the focus wasn’t just on keeping her alive… it was about helping her live again.

She shows up every single day. She gives every therapy session absolutely everything she’s got. And somehow, despite everything she’s been through, she still manages to smile, crack a joke and make everyone around her laugh.

She amazes me every single day.

One thing nobody really prepares you for is that rehabilitation doesn’t stop when you leave the therapy gym.

It carries on at home.

Or at least… it’s supposed to.

The therapists have recommended so much equipment that would help Maya become stronger, more independent and continue practising what she’s learnt during the day.

Every recommendation makes complete sense.

The problem is that recommendations don’t always become reality.

More often than not, the answer comes back to funding. There simply isn’t enough money. We cannot have many of those equipment at home.

It’s heartbreaking because these aren’t luxury items. They’re things that could genuinely help a little girl recover from a life-changing brain injury.

Fifteen weeks later… our home still isn’t adapted

People often ask how things are going at home.

The honest answer?

We’re still waiting.

When Maya came home from Great Ormond Street Hospital on 30th March, our house wasn’t suitable for a child who uses a wheelchair.

It still isn’t.

There has been progress, and I really am grateful for every single bit of it, but every step forward seems to involve countless emails, phone calls, chasing people, leaving messages… and then chasing all over again.

On 11th June, Maya’s shower chair finally arrived.

Without the foam seat.

Poor Maya ended up with blue and purple bruises because she was sitting directly on the hard plastic.

We were then told the foam insert wouldn’t arrive until 17th July.

Then we realised we didn’t have a wet sling for showering.

Cue more emails.

More phone calls.

More waiting.

Thankfully, on 18th June, Maya finally had her ceiling tracking hoist installed in the bathroom.

What a difference that has made.

Moving Maya into the bath is so much safer now, both for her and for us.

It’s funny how something that most people would never even think about can feel like such a huge milestone.

Sometimes caring feels like one full-time job… and advocating feels like another

I’m incredibly grateful to our local MP, Tony Vaughan, who continues to support Maya and advocate on our behalf.

Has it magically made everything happen quicker?

Not really.

But knowing someone is helping to keep Maya’s case visible means more than he probably realises, and we’re genuinely thankful.

One delivery we’re all counting down to…

Our Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle [WAV] still isn’t here.

If you’ve followed our updates for a while, you’ll know just how long we’ve been waiting.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve phoned Allied Mobility.

The latest date we’ve been given is 21st July.

Just two days before Maya turns thirteen!

At this rate we may as well stick a giant red bow on it. 😂

It’ll probably be the only birthday present we can afford this year! 🥹

But do you know what?

I think she’ll absolutely love it.

Because it’s so much more than a vehicle.

It means family days out.

It means freedom.

It means saying “yes” to adventures instead of worrying whether we can actually get there.

A little update on me…

Lots of you have kindly asked how my shoulder is doing.

I had surgery on 10th June, and a month later it’s still swollen around the joint.

Thankfully it’s not red or hot, but the pain is still pretty horrendous.

I’m signed off work until 24th July and currently living on Statutory Sick Pay.

I’ve never claimed SSP before.

I’ve always worked since I arrived at Heathrow Airport in 2003 and have always been proud to contribute to the UK economy through my work.

So this has been a new experience for me.

I’ll also have to use two weeks of my annual leave just to stop us from losing even more income, or losing our home.

I’ll be honest…

It’s worrying.

How is anyone expected to manage on around £122 a week when your mortgage alone is about £1,500 a month, before you’ve even paid your other household bills?

Like so many families, we’re just doing our best to keep everything afloat and hoping I’ll be well enough to get back to work soon.

Help us make Maya’s 13th birthday magical 🌈

On 23rd July, Maya turns thirteen.

I honestly can’t believe my little girl is about to become a teenager.

After everything she’s endured over the past nine years, all we want is to give her a birthday filled with love, laughter and beautiful memories.

Her amazing big brother, Enzo, has decided to run the Victoria Park Half Marathon on 25th July at 9.30am to raise money for his little sister.

I couldn’t be prouder of him.

If you’ve ever wondered how you could help our family, this is one of those moments.

Whether it’s £2, £5 or simply sharing Enzo’s GoFundMe page with your friends and family, every single gesture makes a difference.

Every donation brings us one step closer to giving Maya the magical birthday she deserves and making precious memories together as a family.

As always…

Thank you for reading.

Thank you for your messages.

Thank you for your prayers.

Thank you for your kindness.

And thank you for continuing to walk this journey alongside us.

We’ll never be able to put into words how much your love and support means to our family.

With love always,

Dellanie, Terry, Jerome, Leon, Enzo, Lola & Maya 🩷💜

If you’d like to support Enzo’s fundraising for Maya’s 13th birthday, you can donate here,

or a share would be great please!

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

https://gofund.me/2e7fe51ce

Dear Charles,

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for signposting me to the organisations listed. I really appreciate it.

Some of the organisations you mentioned have kindly supported Maya in the past. She has been fighting cancer since she was just 3 years and 9 months old, and she will turn 13 on 23rd July.

Over the years, we have been incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by many charities.

I have looked through the links, but unfortunately some of the charities have responded in a similar way by signposting me to other organisations, so I seem to be going around in circles.

I completely understand and admire Children with Cancer UK’s commitment to funding research to improve treatments and reduce the long-term effects children experience. Maya’s uncle, Antony Nash (her dad’s brother), actually ran the London Marathon this year in support of Children with Cancer UK, so your charity is one that is very close to our family’s heart.

If I’m honest, I had been hoping there might be some practical assistance available, even something as simple as a small fuel voucher to help with Maya’s rehabilitation journeys. The travel costs are mounting up, but I understand this isn’t something your charity provides.

Thank you again for your kind response, and I wish you every success with the vital research you continue to fund.

Kind regards,

Dellanie Nash

(Maya’s Mum)

Research is vital, and I’m grateful for every charity working to improve childhood cancer outcomes. But for families living the reality every day, practical help can make just as much difference as hope for the future. It’s disheartening when you’re desperately seeking practical help, only to be directed to another website, another charity, another application. Sometimes families don’t need another link—they need a little tangible support. 🥹