Another blow for Broadwater family

Six-year-old Ella was told she suffered from Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) last month. It is an hereditary condition which causes tumours to grow on organs, including the kidneys, spinal cord, cerebellum, part of the brain, retina and the pancreas. Her non-identical twin, Mia, was given the all-clear on the same day. Her big sister, Tantara, aged seven, was diagnosed with the condition last year.

Mum Tracey Fox-Stillwell said the family, from Broadwater, learned of their eldest daughter's test results just weeks after dad Allen Stillwell had to undergo life-threatening emergency surgery to remove tumours from his brain.

She said: "It was just awful finding out. Just devastating. There was relief on the one hand that one of them didn't have it but it was terrible to be told Ella had the condition as well. It is just devastating to know that we have given her that."

The couple's fourth daughter, two-year-old Freya, will be tested when she is six.

"Ella is the most placid child you are ever likely to meet. She is fine. We have never hidden the illness from the girls. When Allen was in hospital I made sure the girls got to see him as often as possible because I thought that was important," said Mrs Fox-Stillwell.

Mr Stillwell's mother died when she was 32. She had the condition but nobody knew.

A cure for the cancer is 20 years away and, after Tantara was diagnosed, the couple set up a charity called Tantara's Wish to raise money for research into the condition.

They have raised around 15,000 in less than 12 months.

A charity ball held in the seven-year-old's honour raised almost 10,000 recently.

Broadwater traders boosted the total by donating more than 1,000 from a raffle they held. They also donate a quarter of all the money they raise from their monthly raffles. Local businesses and schools have also organised events to raise money for the family.

A charity golf day held two weeks ago raised almost 1,500 and the family is busy planning another charity ball to be held in February.

"Local people have just been phenomenal," said Mrs Fox-Stillwell. "We want to thank them all for the support they have shown our family."

Anybody who wants to make a donation to the charity can do so through the Broadwater branch of HSBC. Cheques need to be made payable to Tantara's Wish.