Freya Bevan: Losing daughter to cancer 'would be incomprehensible'

The mum of a girl being treated for a brain tumour in the US is "so scared of losing her, it's incomprehensible".

Freya Bevan is undergoing a second round of treatment for cancer that returned last year after six years.

The eight-year-old was first diagnosed with a rare form of the disease before Freya, from Neath in Neath Port Talbot, reached the age of two.

With celebrity support, a 2015 campaign raised £110,000 for her to undergo proton beam therapy in the US.

But the cancer is back and Freya's family are trying once again to "give her the chance of life", this time with a £200,000 fundraising drive.

Her mum Kath was "floored" at being told the disease had returned.

The family decided to return to the US after treatment in the UK at Christmas

"I was crushed," the 48-year-old said.

"It was just awful, I thought I just can't go through with this again.

"For some reason it felt worse than last time because we knew what was ahead."

Having done research Mrs Bevan knew a relapse was "not great."

'You're just numb'

"To go through it once is bad enough, but for a little girl to go through it again a second time, she is so much older and aware this time," she said.

"I knew we had a rocky road in front of us.

"You're just numb. You're just completely numb. It's an awful feeling. And it's not just me.

"It's the whole family. Everyone was in shock."

Freya was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2014, at 22-months old.

She underwent two major brain surgery operations, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.

The family raised more than £100,000 for Freya's treatment in 2015

And in February 2015, she travelled with her family for the first time to Oklahoma for the proton beam therapy.

They returned to Wales in May that year and Freya began rebuilding her life.

Last October however, a routine scan showed a tumour had returned.

Freya had to then undergo a nine-hour operation on 31 December to remove it - the experience made worse by the fact it was the festive season..

"We tried to make Christmas as best as we could but we had that lurking over our head," Mrs Bevan said.

"It was a sad time."

• 'UK is so far behind' says Neath cancer patient's dad

• Family raise £110,000 for Freya Bevan's US tumour therapy

It was then decided the family would return to the US for more proton beam therapy, which they could partly pay for with funds left over in 2015.

They arranged for Freya to be treated by Dr Andrew Chang, who had treated her before.

And the family presumed things would go as smoothly as last time.

But it was "completely different". Freya was "poorly from the start."

"The tumour had grown back already," Mrs Bevan said.

Had this been known before they left, Freya may not have been allowed to fly, she confirmed.

Despite not knowing what would happen, the family decided to press on with treatment.

"It took a massive toll on her little body," she said.

"It was quite harsh, there was a lot more radiation than before."

After 30 sessions Freya "just wanted it to finish."

Now medical costs are mounting.

No initial fundraising was done as the trip was budgeted for.

Three £10,000 scans

But with things not going as planned there have been unexpected costs for things like MRI scans and general anaesthetics.

In the US a single MRI scan, Kath said, can cost as much as £10,000. Freya has already had three.

"The bills are stacking up, and on top of the worry of getting Freya well, we have the worry of wondering how we are going to pay for all of this," Mrs Bevan said.

"Hence the fundraising is still going on and we are desperately trying to get more."

Freya's condition is on her mum's mind every day

It was "sad it has to come down to money."

"This little girl has been fighting to live since she was 20 months old and everyone can see she deserves this chance of life again," Freya's mum said.

With Freya's condition is on her her mind every day, she "can't even think about" losing her.

"She's a superhero in my eyes," she said.

"Some people have always wished to see their superhero but we see ours everyday.

"I feel so privileged to be her mum because she has shown me what real strength is."

The plan is to be home for Freya's ninth birthday in August.

"That's all she is talking about," Mrs Bevan said.

"She is so excited for her ninth birthday."