A SPECIAL Christmas party is being held for a four-year-old tot given less than three months to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Hyndburn’s Mayoress and landlady of the Peel Park Hotel, in Turkey Street, Accrington, Sue Johnson, is holding the festive party for little Ellese Mulligan-Green and her brother Joshua, who will be celebrating turning three.
Ellese and her little brother have invited 23 of their closest family and friends to the party on Sunday and are looking forward to a visit from Mr Bubbles, a local magician, as well as a surprise visit from the big man himself, Father Christmas.
Ellese, who started at St Mary's RC Primary School in Oswaldtwistle in September, was diagnosed with a high-grade glioma – the medical name for a deadly brain tumour – in June this year and since then her condition has rapidly deteriorated, taking away her ability to walk.
Since the residents of Hyndburn heard about Ellese’s condition support has been flooding in and her fund-raising total now stands close to £12,000.
The money will be spent on making her last weeks and days as comfortable as possible by buying the specialised equipment she will need to remain at home.
The Observer managed to help Ellese and her family enjoy a holiday of lifetime by getting in touch with Accrington Rotary Club's We Will Fix It panel to organise a magical trip to Euro Disney.
During the Christmas party the Mayoress will present Ellese’s mum Joanne with a cheque from Hyndburn’s Mayoral Fund.
Joanne, 40, who works for Hyndburn Homes, said: "The doctors are really pleased with how Ellese is doing. She isn’t getting any better but she is definitely not getting any worse.
"She is desperate to get back to school but we can't let her go at the moment because a lot of children are off with viruses and with her being on chemotherapy she has no immune system.
"Ellese can't wait for Sunday. She loves being around her friends. She has no idea Father Christmas might be there. The day will be extra-special because she will be sharing it with her brother’s third birthday."
Ellese, who lives in Guide with her mum, dad Phillip and Joshua, is hoping to be able to fly out to Italy for alternative therapy in the very near future.
Her doctors in England, who can offer her no more treatment after her final batch of chemo-therapy this month, are sending her medical records to doctors in Italy and San Francisco in the hope they maybe able to help.
Joanne said: "The doctor in Italy specialises in bicarbonate of soda treatment.
"He has a 74 per cent success rate of being able to extend the lives of people suffering from a high grade glioma by two to three years.
"We are just hoping he will be able to help us.
"I don’t know what Ellese makes of no longer being able to walk because she is a very clever little girl. She often says: ‘Mummy, it’s not fair I have tummy ache’, which is heartbreaking."
