About Olivia

Olivia Lambert is a bright and beautiful 8 year old girl with an infectious smile and a fun loving spirit. She also suffers from neuroblastoma, a rare and very aggressive childhood cancer. Most common in children under the age of five, neuroblastoma affects the nervous system. 

Olivia was initially diagnosed with the disease in September 2006 when she was just over two and a half years old.   After many rounds of intensive chemotherapy, an autologous bone marrow transplant and radiation, Olivia was placed in remission.  

A further 12 months of oral chemotherapy then followed, but despite this intensive treatment, Olivia relapsed in April, 2008.   Her prognosis was grim and doctors gave her just 6 to 9 months to live.   Notwithstanding this prognosis, her fight continued with further rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy which miraculously, again, put her in remission for almost two years.  

Sadly, on 2 July 2010, after routine scans in Sydney, Olivia’s doctors advised that she had once again relapsed.   This time the disease was more widespread, in her leg and bone marrow.  Unfortunately, Olivia’s options for treatment in Australia are now limited with doctors only offering her palliative chemotherapy.  

Her family are not willing to let this little beautiful girl go.   

The devastating news of 2 July sent the family on a relentless search for answers.   Olivia’s mother, Kirsty spent countless hours desperately searching the internet for other treatment options from around the world for relapsed patients.    Just when she thought all options had been exhausted, she stumbled across a pilot program being run by a professor at Greifswald University Hospital in Germany.   This highly regarded medical specialist believed that Olivia would be a good candidate for his program which uses the ch14.18 antibody which helps the immune system attack and kill neuroblastoma cells.   Not currently available in Australia this antibody has been widely researched and trialled in the US and has shown to improve survival by around 20 percent.     

With the support of Olivia’s specialists at Sydney Children’s Hospital (SCH), her parents  decided to take Olivia to Germany for the antibody treatment with the hope that it will save her life.   Faced with substantial treatment and living costs, a fund raising campaign was launched to raise  at least $300,000 to cover the six cycles of antibody therapy, possible chemotherapy, medications, tests and scans, as well as travel and living expenses.   

Five months into this treatment in Germany, scans showed that the disease had again returned in Olivia's left leg.   After repeat cycles of chemotherapy, Olivia's immune system was simply not up to the task!  This devastating news was heartbreaking for the family but their quest for a cure was undaunted.   In consultation with Olivia's treating specialist in Greifswald, the decision was made to return to Australia and have Olivia undertake a German-developed chemotherapy protocol called "RIST" (Rapamycin,  Irinotecan, Sprycel and Temozolomide).    Olivia arrived back in Australia on 13 February 2011 to commence this therapy at SCH.  

The RIST chemotherapy coupled with radiation therapy cleared Olivia of disease for most of 2011 but the side effects of the treatment were severely debilitating and in November 2011, the decision was made by Olivia's parents, with the support of a leading specialist, to suspend the chemotherapy.    Regular scans around that time showed that Olivia was still in remission, although some concerns were expressed about inconclusive findings on the images of her skull.  

Scans on 18 January 2012  - three days after Olivia's 8th birthday - again delivered shattering news.   Evidence of neuroblastoma was found in her hip and two sites on her skull.  This is Olivia's fourth relapse and options are quickly running out to save this little girl.   Olivia's parents have been urgently consulting medical specialists in Australia and overseas to try and identify treatment options.    As there is no cure the best that can be done is to find a treatment regime that will arrest the spread of the disease and prolong Olivia's life, giving her some quality of life until that miracle cure is found.   following extensive consultation, a decision has been made for Olivia to undertake MIBG radiation therapy at Westmead Children's Hospital.   This process requires that Olivia be isolated for up to four days in lead lined radioactive therapy facility while she undergoes treatment.   Upon release, she will be unable to have close contact with her family and the community until the radioactivity dissipates.        

Every setback bring new energy to save this gorgeous little girl's life and boundless courage by her parents who almost daily are forced to make extraordinarily difficult choices.     

Through all of these ups and downs, Olivia has remained in high spirits and is full of energy.   When she is not undergoing treatment, she is mixing with friends and attending school at Burgman College in Canberra.     Her long battle with cancer has not dented her enthusiasm for life and empathy towards others.   In the darkest hours when her family and friends are shedding tears, Olivia has remained stoic displaying a fighting spirit which is truly inspirational and uplifting.  

The fight to save this precious little girl’s life has entered yet another phase.  The courage of Olivia and her family will not alone save this little girl.   You can join this fight by donating to the foundation.       

For more information on Olivia, please also visit

www.olivialambert.com.au