Brave Emily's 18th will be her final birthday

Funds appeal after teen with ultra-rare cancer gets shattering news

- BY LOUISE WALSH

A GIRL who is just the 315th person in the world to get a rare form of cancer in the last decade has been told her 18th birthday next week will be her last.

Emily Gaule was initially told she had up to five years to live when she was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer normally found in women over 50.

But that diagnosis was changed earlier this month when it was discovered she was battling an even rarer and very aggressive form of small cell carcinoma of the ovary.

Her parents Jacky and Keith were given hope when their daughter responded well to initial chemotherapy on a 12-inch mass.

The teenager even managed to attend her graduation at St Joseph's Convent of Mercy in Navan, Co Meath.

DIAGNOSIS

However, she reacted badly to follow-on immunotherapy and after losing a lot of weight, made the call herself to return to Dublin's Mater Hospital, where the even more heart-shattering diagnosis was made.