A frightened couple are set to go bankrupt after blowing through their savings and running up debts on medical bills to stop an aggressive form of brain cancer killing their eight year-old daughter.

Gary, 41, and Melissa Short, 34, are faced with being slapped with six figure medical bills for hospital treatment given to their critically-ill daughter, Naomi.

The schoolgirl, from Hamilton, Ohio, has been diagnosed with one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of brain cancer that is so uncommon it accounts for less than 1% of all tumors on the brain.

Since October last year she has endured seven brain operations – including major surgery to remove a large tumor – and is now two rounds into a six round course of chemotherapy treatment.

In just six short months the cost of medicines, surgeries and weeks of hospital stays have led to the Shorts racking up eye-watering hospital debts. But forklift driver Gary says the financial burden is worth shouldering to keep his beloved daughter alive.

Gary said: ‘The doctors told us not to worry about the bills for now, but that’s easier said than done.

‘So far we have paid out between $15,000 and $20,000 just on treatment and that’s only going to go up.

‘I have absolutely no idea how much we are going to end up owing until we get the final bills.

‘We don’t know if it will bankrupt us but we are willing to bankrupt ourselves if it means Naomi can stay with us.

‘The only thing that matters is keeping her healthy, everything else doesn’t really matter.

‘So far we have managed to pay enough to keep the treatment going, we are only paying what we have to each time.

‘It’s definitely going to be tens of thousands if not six figures. We are trying not to think about that just yet.’

Up until September last year Naomi was a carefree child who loved playing outside with her friends and was a ‘social butterfly’.

But her life changed forever on September 26 2019 when she unexpectedly collapsed on the floor at school.

An ambulance was called and she was rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre where doctors performed a CAT scan and a mass on the brain was discovered.

An MRI scan was carried out the following day which is when medics realized Naomi had a grade 4 – the most aggressive type – pineoblastoma tumour on the back of her brain.

The scan also showed the cancer was beginning to spread down her spine and doctors gave Naomi a 30% chance of survival.

Mother-of-six, Melissa, recalled the moment she was told her youngest child has cancer.

She said: ‘When you hear the word, cancer, it’s just such a shock to the system and it took a while for us to process it.

‘My heart felt like it was falling out of my chest. It was gut-wrenching and completely heartbreaking.

‘Six months later it still feels as bad.’

A treatment plan involving surgery to remove the tumor on Naomi’s brain, cutting-edge proton radiation and chemotherapy was put together to give her the best chance of survival.

The largest of Naomi’s seven brain surgeries took place on October 14 and was successful in removing the tumor.

Other ops between October and now have involved work to relieve a build-up of fluid on Naomi’s brain, a side effect called hydrocephalus.

On top of this she has also endured six weeks of proton radiation therapy and two rounds of chemotherapy, with four more to follow.

‘The tumor has been removed but there is still some cancer cells on her spine’, Melissa explains.

‘Cancer wise, there has been little improvement so far but we are heading in the right direction.

‘The doctors are giving her as much chemotherapy as her body can handle.

‘When we get to the end we have to hope and pray that it has worked, because we are not sure where else we could go after this.’

It’s too soon to say if any treatment so far has been a success and an MRI scan will be performed after the final round of chemotherapy to see if the treatment has effectively killed the remaining cancer cells on Naomi’s spine.

Gary has said Naomi is enrolled on a Government healthcare insurance scheme but the policy will only cover some of the cost of the schoolgirl’s treatment.

The family have set up a fundraising page to help pay for the continuing cost of the treatment and so far have raised more than $30,000.

Gary said he’s hoping they can raise a six figure sum, which alongside helping to pay for cancer treatment, will also go towards paying for Naomi to fulfil her ‘bucket list’.

Tragically, Naomi knows that the treatment might not succeed, and so has asked for things like trips to Disneyland Florida and Hollywood.

Gary said: ‘She is aware she might die and that has been on her mind a lot recently.

‘We just want to give her the best possible experiences in case that happens.

‘Neither of us have worked a single day since she was diagnosed either, so we do need to find a lot of money from somewhere.’

Melissa added: ‘All we can do now is hope and pray that the treatment is doing its job.

‘In her words she is ‘kicking cancer’s butt’.

‘Its very hard to stay positive sometimes but we are trying to stay as positive as possible.

‘It’s just heartbreaking to see her like this and we just want her to be better again.’

To visit Naomi’s fundraising page click here.

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