Mark Noble has expressed his joy at the news that brave little Hammer Isla Caton is cancer-free and now in remission.
Isla’s story and fight against the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma has caught the imagination of football fans all over the world, with hundreds of thousands of pounds being raised to pay for pioneering treatment, which she has been receiving in the Spanish city of Barcelona.
It’s so special and I’m just so pleased. Obviously I’ve got the pleasure of knowing her but I’m so pleased for her family because they’ve been through a lot
Mark Noble
“It’s incredible,” said Noble, who accompanied Isla as a mascot at London Stadium in early 2018. “We got the news in the week and myself and Snods were standing next to each other and it was emotional, to be honest, as we went to see her in Barcelona in hospital and we knew what her and her family were going through.
“I’ve got close family friends who are close to her and she had been given a four per cent chance of living, so it’s incredible what the doctors and her treatment have done for her.
“Hopefully, her Mum and Dad and Isla can come home soon and enjoy some time with their family as soon as they can.
“It’s been a great week for everyone and it just shows what can happen when people pull together and raise a lot of money for a little girl.
“It’s so special and I’m just so pleased. Obviously I’ve got the pleasure of knowing her but I’m so pleased for her family because they’ve been through a lot.”
Isla and her family have been in Barcelona since August last year, where she underwent specialist treatment for the rare form of cancer that only affects 100 children a year in the UK.
The five-year-old, from Hornchurch in Essex, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma in March 2017 and, after nearly two years of chemotherapy, she is now finally in remission.
Her parents tweeted the good news late last week, saying: “We have just received the most amazing news – we can confirm that Isla's treatment has worked and she is now completely cancer-free and in remission.
"We are completely overwhelmed and cannot thank you enough for the continuous support throughout Isla's journey.”
Everyone at West Ham United shares the captain’s sentiments and looks forward to welcoming Isla and her family to London Stadium again soon.