THE tragic death of Risca teenager Izzy Withers shows the UK government has "failed to do enough" to invest in children's cancer research, according to Gwent MP Chris Evans.

Izzy was diagnosed in 2018 with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a type of malignant brain tumour that affects children and is extremely difficult to treat.

Her health declined and she died in August 2019, aged 17. Her mum, Tracey Bryant Withers, later told the Argus her daughter's diagnosis had been "a death sentence".

Speaking in a Westminster debate, Mr Evans told MPs how Izzy and her family had been left in "administrative limbo" and had relied on charities to plug wide gaps in support.

"Few of us can imagine what Izzy’s family have gone through, but we must do more to stop others experiencing the same," he said, arguing that more research funding would ensure that families could, in future, have more treatment options available to them.

He said Izzy and her family received "invaluable support" from the charities Teenage Cancer Trust, CLIC Sargent and the Tŷ Hafan hospice.

"Without those charities, families such as Izzy’s would be completely lost," Mr Evans told MPs. "That is a failure on the part of the state to provide adequate care and funding for children with cancer."

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He also called for more clarity around the treatment of teenage cancer patients. Izzy, 16 at the time of her diagnosis, was "not classed as a paediatric patient or an adult" and was left in "administrative limbo," Mr Evans said.

"Hospitals were unaware of where she should be treated, who should treat her and who would foot the bill," Mr Evans added. "That left Tracey with the extra burden of chasing hospitals for treatment and looking for counselling and other support. Tracey was often the one who had to find out where Izzy could receive care and what sort of care she could receive."

Mr Evans appealed for cross-party support for more investment, saying UK funding falls short for a nation that "prides itself on scientific research".

He added: "We could be leading the way, but we have failed to do enough. Some things go beyond politics, and this should be one of them."