Child to Travel to New York for Cancer Vaccine Trial
A family will travel to New York in November 2026 for a vaccine trial after raising over £300,000 for private medical treatment.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Cancer
Teddy Sloman, a three-year-old diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, is set to begin a clinical vaccine trial in New York in November 2026. The family secured the private treatment after successfully raising more than £300,000 through a public fundraising campaign.
Why it matters
The family sought the private clinical trial because a maintenance drug previously used to prevent relapse was withdrawn from the NHS in June 2026. This move ensures the child has access to an experimental treatment option following his diagnosis in July 2025.
The fundraising campaign has secured £300,000 against a revised goal of £350,000 to cover the private clinical trial and ongoing costs. Teddy Sloman currently shows no active disease according to recent medical scans.
The players
Teddy Sloman
He is a three-year-old child from Pontypool who was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma.
NHS
The publicly funded healthcare system in the United Kingdom responsible for providing medical care to residents.
The Grange Hospital
A medical facility located in Cwmbran that provided care during the child's treatment journey.
Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales
A specialist pediatric hospital in Wales that assisted in the medical treatment of the child.
The details
To qualify for the program, the family submitted bone marrow aspirates, urine samples, and diagnostic scan results for review. The child was previously treated at various facilities, including The Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales, and specialist centers in Birmingham and London.
Timeline
July 2025: Teddy Sloman was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma.
June 2026: The maintenance drug difluoromethylornithine was withdrawn from the NHS.
November 2026: Teddy will attend his initial appointment for the vaccine trial in New York.
Health Landscape
The family's pursuit of a private vaccine trial reflects the increasing reliance on international medical options following the NHS withdrawal of difluoromethylornithine. This shift underscores the gaps in maintenance therapy accessibility for high-risk pediatric cancer patients in the UK.
The case highlights the potential necessity for families to secure independent funding when standard-of-care maintenance drugs are no longer available within the public system. Patients and families may face significant logistical challenges when navigating the requirements for international clinical trial referrals.
The takeaway
Accessing experimental pediatric oncology treatments often requires significant private financial planning and international coordination. Families navigating similar diagnoses should prioritize gathering comprehensive medical records to meet the rigorous submission standards for clinical trials.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in Cancer research and clinical trials.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BBC.
