This page has been set up with the full permission of Dave and Charlotte, not as a plea for pity, but as a space to share their reality and ask for support during a time no family should ever have to endure.
Raising children comes with challenges under the best of circumstances, but parenting a child with cancer introduces emotional, physical, and financial pressures that few are prepared for.
Every donation, message, and act of kindness helps this family face the unexpected costs that come with keeping their daughter safe, close, and cared for.
For Charlotte and her family, life has unfolded in a way that feels unbearably cruel.
Before they were even given the chance to properly grieve the illness and loss of their precious mum and nanny, their world was shattered again.
Their baby girl, Ameera, became unwell.
At first, there was fear and confusion, followed by appointments, tests, and growing concern.
Then came the words that no parent is ever ready to hear.
Ameera has cancer.
Her diagnosis is not only devastating but rare.
The type of tumour Ameera has is unusual in children and would not normally be found on the bladder.
Its rarity has meant uncertainty, long waits, and a treatment journey filled with more questions than answers.
At the beginning of February, Ameera was referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for surgery to remove the tumour.
Her parents clung to hope, believing this operation would be the turning point that would finally bring relief.
But the surgery was unsuccessful, and the tumour could not be fully removed.
What followed was one of the hardest stretches yet.
Charlotte and Dave faced a long, agonising wait for the tumour’s histology results, a period marked by fear, exhaustion, and helplessness.
Every day felt like holding their breath, waiting for information that would shape their daughter’s future.
Eventually, the full diagnosis arrived, along with a treatment plan.
It brought clarity, but not comfort.
Treatment would be intensive, demanding, and far from over.
There was, however, one piece of hopeful news.
Ameera and Addenbrooke’s were accepted onto a specialist clinical trial, something that until recently had only been available through The Royal Marsden in London.
This acceptance opened the door for Ameera’s treatment to begin within weeks, offering a vital lifeline in a situation that had felt increasingly desperate.
Despite her tiny size and young age, Ameera has already endured more than many adults face in a lifetime.
She has lived through hospital stays that stretch from days into weeks, procedures that no child should have to understand, and complications that added layer upon layer of fear.
After six long weeks already spent at Addenbrooke’s, her parents are hoping this marks the beginning of the end for the tumour they’ve named “BOB.”
But cancer does not affect only the child in the hospital bed.
It reaches outward, touching every part of family life.
One of the most painful realities has been separation.
Ameera’s sisters, Zabrina and Talulla, have been staying with family in Scotland.
They are safe and loved, but deeply missed.
For Charlotte and Dave, being apart from them adds an ache that never fades, even on the strongest days.
Thanks to the incredible support of The Sick Children’s Trust, Dave has been able to stay at Acorn House, just a two-minute walk from Addenbrooke’s.
This has allowed him to be present, to support Charlotte, and to be by Ameera’s side during the most frightening moments.
Without this accommodation, the last six weeks would have been even more exhausting and emotionally devastating.
Still, even with support in place, the hidden costs of long-term hospital care continue to mount.
Travel between home and hospital, time away from work, food, essentials, and the countless expenses that arise when life is suddenly relocated to a hospital ward all add up quickly.
These are costs no family plans for, yet they become unavoidable when a child is fighting cancer.
Charlotte speaks honestly about the road ahead.
They are nowhere near the end of Ameera’s cancer journey.
Some may say they are only at the beginning.
But despite everything, this family is surrounded by love.
Messages of support, acts of kindness, and the generosity of others have already carried them through moments they didn’t think they could survive.
With that support, they believe they will continue to find strength.
Ameera herself has become the heart of this fight.
Through pain, procedures, and uncertainty, she has shown a resilience that leaves everyone around her in awe.
To her parents, she is proof that superheroes come in the smallest, quietest forms.
This page exists to help lighten the weight Dave and Charlotte are carrying.
Every donation helps cover the unexpected costs that come with parenting a child through cancer treatment.
More than that, it helps this family focus on what truly matters — Ameera’s health, comfort, and recovery.
If you are able to help in any way, please know that your support means more than words can express.
It helps keep parents close to their child, siblings connected, and hope alive during the hardest fight of their lives.
Sometimes, the greatest kindness is simply helping a family get through today while believing in a better tomorrow for Ameera.