A FATHER'S LOVE CONQUERS ALL: Terminally ill father raises money to save his cancer-striken daughter's life

Tom Attwater ignores his own pain and suffering to fight for his stepdaughter's life.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Attwater was diagnosed with brain cancer just as his five-year-old stepdaughter, Kelli, began her second round of cancer treatment.

According to news.com.au, Kelli suffers from neuroblastoma, a common childhood cancer diagnosed in 700 children younger than 15 each year in the United States. Neuroblastoma is a malignant tumor that develops from immature nerve cells.

Light a prayer candle for Kelli and her family

After hearing from doctors that Kelli was likely to relapse again, Attwater created an online campaign to ensure his stepdaughter was cared for long after he had passed from his own brain cancer.

"We've been living under a dark cloud of uncertainty for the last year and now don't feel like we're alone in dealing with it," stated Attwater in a Mirror article.

Despite his own hardships, Attwater has raised nearly one million dollars for Kelli's treatment.

"I feel elated. When I saw the figures at 100 per cent to target on JustGiving I was in such shock I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," expressed 32-year-old, Attwater. "Now it's sunk in I feel like the luckiest man alive."

Attwater and Joely Attwater, his wife and Kelli's mother, are expecting a baby in May, something high on Attwater's personal bucket list. According to Joely, raising money for Kelli is at the top of Attwater's bucket list.

"I can't go, can't rest in peace, until I know Kelli will be cared for," cried Attwater. "Nothing can save me, but I'll work until my last breath to ensure my little girl is saved."

"Time is running out for me, and my health is declining," he said. "But I can now spend my time in peace, enjoying my family safe in the knowledge that I have done my best to give Kelli a chance of a long and happy life."

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