Friends of courageous Burnley teenager fighting cancer fundraising to 'keep a smile' on his face

Isaac Drea (17) was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in January and faces 28 weeks of chemotherapy along with the risk of amputation of his leg if the chemotherapy isn’t successful.

Close family friend Jane Butcher started a gofundme page to help the family, who have to regularly travel to Christie’s for treatment and various other Manchester Hospitals.

“His parents are both having to dedicate a lot of time on Isaac's care and treatment and this impacts on them financially,” said Jane.

Isaac is the middle son with younger brother Lucas (11) and elder brother Joseph (20) who is at university.

Isaac went to Shuttleworth College and was in his second year at Burnley College, having been accepted at a number of top universities to study Biochemistry, when he started to feel ill.

“I had a lot of pain in my knee over the last nine-12 months,” said Isaac. “I kept going for tests and ended up in urgent care a few times.

“On January 7th this year I was in excruciating pain and we went to the urgent care centre at Burnley Hospital.

"They did bloods and X-Rays and moved me to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where they first talked about a potential tumour.

“I had an MRI scan and then went to Birmingham Cancer Hospital for a biopsy.

“The physio there had asked me what was the worst I thought it could be. I said osteosarcoma as I had knowledge and an understanding of this disease through my interest in medicine and understood that my symptoms where the same. I had suspicions and this type of bone cancer is common in children and teenagers.

“Ewings Sarcoma with metastasis is worse, I have a number of tumours in the pelvic area and, to be honest, when you are told, I just held my mum’s hand and cried.

“Everyone was heartbroken but I am quite practical and I now want to remain positive and fight this cancer.”

Isaac is on week six of 28 weeks of a gruelling chemotherapy treatment pathway.

“I spend five days at Christie’s and have a week off, this makes me really tired and I end up sleeping most days, then three days and a week off, this makes me violently sick and brain fog, which is really weird, as it’s a few different kinds of chemotherapy that makes me react differently.

“It’s an 80-mile round trip for my parents and I have to go back in between for bloods and scans and it’s really tiring and expensive.

“It’s hard for them emotionally. I don’t think my younger brother Lucas really understands but he is really helping to look after me, while Joseph sends me texts and comes home from university more often, supporting me.”

He is thankful to his best friend Libby, Jane’s daughter, who has been a huge rock for him. Isaac says that she is always there for him and listening to his concerns.

Jane said: “They have been friends since they were babies, went on holidays together and he can confide in her about what he is feeling. They tell each other everything and that helps.

“All his friends are devastated but extremely supportive. We want them to be able to come around and spend time with him and maybe have a takeaway or two, he loves Chows Kitchen on Victoria Road, and for Isaac to be able to treat himself without having to ask his parents, so this gofundme page is just about Isaac having some independence as it’s been taken away from him.

“He used to do odd jobs with his dad and get paid but now he can’t do anything.

“We also want the family to be able to go away when Isaac feels well enough. They were meant to go to Holland for the last two years but covid stopped it and now they have had to cancel this year’s trip abroad. It’s hard for the entire family so we want them to be able to go away on some UK short breaks and have some time together.”

One thing which has helped Isaac is the addition of Labrador puppy named Cooper to the family.

“I always wanted a dog,” said Isaac. “And when we went to Royal Blackburn their therapy dog Jasper really helped to keep me calm when he visited me on the wards and so my mum and dad surprised me.

“Cooper has helped a lot and he cuddles up to me. He has made a big difference.”

Jane is aware of how hard it is for the Drea family. “The cost of living and petrol prices are crippling for everyone at the moment and the additional cost to this family is them making an 80-mile round trip regularly.

“They also having the added worry that if in the future, Isaac does have to have his leg amputated, then they will have to adapt the house so we don’t want them worrying about all this added financial pressure, as all their focus needs to be on Isaac and their family.”

Isaac plans on using some the funds raised to learn to drive and maybe buy himself a car in the future and also to allow him to save towards his cost for university as he is really keen to be well enough and beat this disease to allow him to fulfil his dreams and become a biochemist.

“We are extremely grateful to all those who have already made a donation and wholeheartedly welcome any further donations,” added Jane.

To make a donation please click HERE