Christina needs your help to live
12-year-old girl Christina is in a battle with the cancer she is suffering from. Thanks to the generous donations on mycause, she has hope via a trip for special treatment in Germany.
Today Show Story: Crazy Hair Day for Christina
Young Sydney girl Christina Lagogiannis is in a race against time to get potentially lifesaving dendritic cell treatment in Germany.
The 12-year-old suffers from a rare cancer, osteosarcoma, which has spread from her femur to her lungs and has been undergoing aggressive chemotherapy.
Christina's diagnosis came just before she finished primary school last year.
"They didn't know how to tell me I had cancer," Christina told TODAY about her parents breaking the news.
"I said 'Am I going to die?' and Mum said, 'No, we're going to make sure you live until you're 100'," Christina said.
In 12 months she's had surgery seven times, and many chemotherapy sessions.
"I'm very angry, because they're not helping, they're beating around the bush," her Dad said.
"I thought, you know, she's gone through three lung surgeries, and knee surgery, this is just ridiculous, I've got to do something. I got on the laptop, and started researching," Nayree said.
Dendritic cell therapy is not available in Australia, and costs nearly $100,000.
Here they're just giving her quality of life, over there they're giving her life.
Christina's classmates at Valkstone Primary banded together to participate with Crazy Hair Day, contributing a gold coin donation and sporting some pretty wacky dos.
Their efforts raised $3,000, and after the launch of her website, the funds have continued to grow.
Recent news from Christina's progress blog is not good.
After having another lung scan, results from their oncologist showed that two spots on the left lung have tripled in size.
"There has also been two new lesions that have popped up in the middle of the right lung.
"Nayree has had the doctor in Germany on the phone and he recommends them getting to Germany ASAP," Christina's blog reads.
“I just can’t put her through all that chemo again,” her mother Nayree told the Herald Sun.
“They won’t give us any percentage for success here, but in Germany they said that there was a good chance for partial remission, even the possibility for full remission.”
Find out more about Christina's journey on her blog.