Jessup Child Battling Cancer Supported With $63K From Fundraiser

JESSUP, MD — A fundraiser has collected more than $63,000 for a Jessup girl battling cancer.

The 3-year-old, Iyra Mohan Tambre, was diagnosed last November. Johns Hopkins doctors removed her infected left kidney the day after Thanksgiving.

After the 12-hour surgery, the team tested Iyra's tumor and found that she has Stage 3 Rhabdomyosarcoma. This is a rare soft tissue cancer that's also known as RMS.

Iyra is currently undergoing 14 cycles of chemotherapy, each lasting 21 days. She will also complete six weeks of radiation.

The chemotherapy appointments are at a Johns Hopkins medical facility. The family did not specify which campus, however. Iyra's mother, Divya Mohan Tambre, said the radiation sessions will be somewhere else.

"She has a long road ahead for her, and our lives have changed radically since her diagnosis," the parent said on her fundraiser page. "My husband and I feel completely devastated."

The family launched a GoFundMe on Jan. 20 to cover medical and travel expenses.

The campaign raised upward of $35,000 on its first day, and it has already exceeded its $60,000 goal. The total is now up to $63,686.

More than 1,000 donors have given to the campaign. The top contributors, Arun Dhanushya Sivaraman and Sharan Nallacheruvu, each gave $1,000.

Residents can donate and learn more about Iyra at this link.

"Regardless of all this Iyra is a fun child who loves to play with her sister," the mother said. "She is very caring and a strong girl. She reminds us that no matter how hard things get - we must learn to smile and keep a positive attitude towards life."

EDITOR'S NOTE: GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.

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