HYROX of HOPE - Fighting Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma

On Dec 5th we will be competing in the mixed doubles HYROX to raise money for Neuroblastoma UK & Momentum after our daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. Exactly 1 year after treatment started & on Neuroblastoma Awareness Day!

Summary:
In Sept-25, our beautiful & active 4 year old daughter Madeleine went from running her first parkrun to facing the biggest battle of her life. Over the past year, she has endured consecutive intensive chemotherapies, high dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue & immunotherapy; braving severe complications along the way. Despite the physical toll & a high risk of relapse, Madeleine is miraculously in metastatic remission. We are taking on this challenge to raise money for Neuroblastoma UK to fund critical relapse research and Momentum Children's Charity, who have been an absolute lifeline for our family.

Diagnosis:
In late September 2025, Madeleine proudly ran her first parkrun. Shortly after, she developed neck and leg pain, which we initially chalked up to growing pains. Symptoms temporarily settled but returned with a vengeance in October so we took her to A&E. Blood tests showed very high infection & inflammation levels, but we were sent home with a suspected virus. As she worsened, doctors suspected septic arthritis, warning us surgery might be necessary.
By early November, her pain was so severe she was admitted to our local hospital. The working theory shifted to juvenile arthritis. However, an MRI revealed non-homogeneous bone marrow & evidence that something was eating away at her hips & spine. We were devastated when doctors told us Madeleine had leukaemia. Within 24 hours, the Royal Marsden ruled this out, giving us a brief glimmer of hope.
That hope faded the very next morning. We were informed a CT scan revealed multiple chest masses & a flicker on her heart, new diagnosis, solid tumours. Madeleiene was transferred to St George’s Hospital for a biopsy. In a confusing twist, numerous oncology specialists disagreed with the CT interpretation & we were told her scan was normal and it was unlikely she was oncology. Another glimmer of hope. The biopsy went ahead to formally rule out cancer.
Two agonizing weeks later, any glimmer of hope was extinguished; Madeleine had Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma. An MIBG scan showed metastasis was now everywhere, making it a more advanced case as well as unique as she has no identifiable primary tumour. However tumour DNA revealed 12 segmental chromosomal abnormalities, indicating her cancer was exceptionally aggressive, historically poor to respond to treatment & carries a high rate of relapse.

Treatment Timeline:
Madeleine immediately started urgent induction chemotherapy (Rapid COJEC) on Dec 5th, a brutal mixture of five chemo drugs over 8 rounds. By mid-February, tests revealed an unbelievable milestone: by some miracle, she was in metastatic remission.
The road ahead remained daunting. In March, she underwent ovarian preservation (as the drugs cause infertility) and stem cell retrieval. While she didn't produce enough cells to continue on the clinical trial, she generated enough for one rescue.
In mid-March, Madeleine endured a week of high-dose chemotherapy, followed by her stem cell transplant and 4 isolated weeks at the Royal Marsden waiting for engrafment and blood counts to rise.
Because Madeleine’s primary tumour was never identified, the Royal Marsden consulted other international experts & pivoted her plan, moving directly to immunotherapy (skipping standard radiotherapy & surgery). In June she began her 5 rounds of immunotherapy, which she continues to battle through today and will finish on Dec 4th.

Setbacks and Complications:
While we are incredibly fortunate she has responded well, the extreme toxicity of her treatments has taken a heavy toll. Madeleine has bravely battled kidney, lung and heart issues, allergic reactions, terrifying hallucinations, painful mucositis, shingles & multiple dangerous infections. All whilst she faces an unbearably high risk of relapse.

Charities:
Neuroblastoma UK
Neuroblastoma UK funds vital research, with a critical focus on relapse. Approximately 50% of children with high-risk neuroblastoma like Madeleine's will relapse, even after grueling treatment. When neuroblastoma returns, it behaves more aggressively & resists previous therapies. Once relapse occurs, long-term survival plummets to less than 10%. Funding research into new, targeted treatments is the only way to change these terrifying outcomes for children like Madeleine.

Momentum Children’s Charity
Momentum has been our lifeline. They stepped in to help on multiple occasions, always providing a comforting presence around the wards at the Marsden. They also gave the Cross family the incredible gift of a respite break at their holiday home in the New Forest, giving us a brief, invaluable opportunity to step away from the clinical hospital environment & simply be a family again.