Brave little Devan will fly to America for cancer treatment

Aug 17 2012 by Gavin McInally, Paisley Daily Express

A COURAGEOUS toddler who has a rare form of cancer will fly to America this morning in a bid to beat the deadly disease.

Two-year-old Daven Milne suffers from Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma – which is usually only found in elderly men – and has endured painful chemotherapy sessions to combat the condition.

But doctors warned his parents David and Tracy that the next stage of his treatment is radiotherapy...and the type that is available here on the NHS could leave him with long-term disabilities.

More specialised treatment is available in the USA but the devastated mum and dad were told that, because Daven’s condition is so rare, he did not meet the criteria necessary for the NHS to agree to fund that overseas treatment.

However, on Tuesday morning, they discovered there had been a change of heart by health chiefs, who have now agreed to pay for Daven’s £250,000 hospital stay in America.

That means the family can now jet out to the States this morning to allow him to undergo a two-month treatment programme in Florida...with the hope that it will end his cancer hell.

Tracy and former footballer David, who used to play for St Mirren, are keeping their fingers crossed for a successful outcome.

“Daven is such a little battler,” said 32-year-old Tracy. “He has lost his hair and had to go through chemotherapy and operations but nothing stops him from smiling.

“If anyone deserves the chance to have a normal life and be able to grow up and ride a bike or swim with his friends, it’s him.”