Rotary digs deep after Ruby's ordeal

Ron Seeto's daughter Ruby had a 1.6kg tumour removed from her liver at the Starship. Picture / Dean Purcell

The Herald's Christmas campaign for cancer research has received a $15,000 fillip from a Rotary group with personal experience of the disease.

When 9-year-old Ruby Seeto complained that her side hurt, her parents had no idea she had a huge tumour growing on her liver.

The young girl was recently diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer to the shock of her father, Ron Seeto, the Rotary Club of Newmarket president.

"We had just got back from a trip in Fiji and she was laid low for a few days and complained about a sore side," said Mr Seeto.

Three weeks later Ruby was taken back to the Starship hospital for a seven-hour operation where specialists removed the 1.6kg tumour.

"The pathology results came back and unfortunately we found out she had cancer sarcoma of the liver," said Mr Seeto.

He said the Rotary Club had since donated $15,000 to the Herald's Christmas Cancer campaign.

>> Read our series on latest cancer breakthroughs
>> Donate to the Herald Christmas Cancer Appeal

He hoped other organisations would get together to help raise funds for cancer research.

"We saw the Herald's Christmas cancer appeal and thought if we could give it some publicity to help, then it would all be for a good cause.

"If a club like ours can get on board, we have seen in the past that others can get on board too."

Mr Seeto said the Rotary Club of Newmarket raised between $250,000 and $300,000 each year for charities.

Ruby is to undergo chemotherapy over the next year and Mr Seeto said support was pouring in from all quarters.

"We are used to helping other people and have been quite humbled by people coming forward to offer their help from the Rotary Club and her school. One of her friends has even cut off her hair in support."

MOMENTUM GROWS

The Herald Christmas Appeal for cancer research has raised almost $40,000.

Our appeal, supporting the Auckland Cancer Society to mark 50 years of its successful research centre, will raise money for its ground-breaking laboratories.

The reader response has gathered momentum in the past fortnight and has two more weeks to run.