A town is getting ready to light up its streets in support of a 'brave and bubbly' three-year-old who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour almost two years ago.
The Ready Steady Glow starlight walk has been organised for little Esmé Lambert, who recently celebrated Christmas with her family at home following a break from intensive chemotherapy.
The toddler was first diagnosed back in 2018 after her parents, Aaron and Wendy Lambert, of Kestrel Close, Swaffham, took her to the doctors as she had been feeling unwell. On further examination, a brain tumour was discovered.
She was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for an immediate operation to have it removed but traces remained and it was diagnosed as an Ependymoma tumour.
Since then, Esmé has completed five out of seven cycles of chemotherapy and will begin her sixth round soon to try and stop spreading.
Mrs Lambert said: "We expect Esmé's treatment to be finished by the end of April. It seems so far away still but still so much closer than it did last Christmas. [That] was the scariest time of our lives and I was so petrified it would be her last.
"Esmé has lost friends to cancer since we started the journey and got to know other families and it makes the worry so real for all of us."
The starlight walk has been organised by family friend Katy Hacon and Paul Sandford, landlord at The Railway Tavern, Dereham. Funds raised will go towards helping the family.
The walk will begin at 5.30pm from the Tavern, on Yaxham Road, on Saturday, February 29. There will be an entry fee of £5 and the walk will go through the town centre via Wellington Road, before heading back to the pub.
Mr Sandford said: "This is a family-friendly event and we ask you to please wear bright, neon colours, and bring lights and glow sticks.
"We still need volunteers to help with things like stewarding so contact the pub if you can help."
Mrs Lambert added: "We are sticking together as a family and we are so grateful for the support of friends, family and the wider community. Without help we would have really struggled.
"Esmé is the bravest little girl and she faces everything with a positive and energetic attitude and she is turning into a confident and bubbly toddler."
- A fundraising page was set-up to allow Mr and Mrs Lambert to spend as much time with Esme as possible while also being able to look after her two sisters and brother. To donate go to uk.gofundme.com/help-little-esme. So far more than £19,000 has been raised of the £30,000 target.
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