4 Thursday, March 29, 2018 derbytelegraph.co.uk @derbytelegraph facebook.com/derbytelegraph facebook.com/derbytelegraph @derbytelegraph derbytelegraph.co.

uk Thursday, March 29, 2018 5

News

Couple hoping
BY CHRIS
HARPER
Man, 27, charged
P: 01332 411999 after fatal M1 crash
E: newsdesk@ A MAN has been charged in con-

to make
derbytelegraph.co.uk nection with a fatal crash on the M1
T: @DerbyTelegraph
on Saturday.
Police were called to the serious
AN Alvaston couple are trying multi-vehicle collision at about
to make their daughter’s life as com- 5.40am.

daughter
fortable as possible after she was The crash happened on the south-
diagnosed with an incurable can- bound carriageway, south of Junc-
cer. tion 27, and led to the road being
Billie Bousfield-Smith, aged 21 shut for around seven hours.
months, is having palliative care at Mark Downham, 48, was the pas-
her home in Alvaston, where she is senger of one of the vehicles. He was

Billie’s life
tube-fed and has constant care. taken to hospital after the crash but
Her mum, Gemma Smith, 33, the died from his injuries on Monday. There were long tailbacks on the M1 after the
youngster’s full-time carer, said: The family of Mr Downham, from crash early on Saturday
“Some days she is better than others Chorley, Lancashire, has asked for
but when she’s on a good day, you privacy at this difficult time.

happy after
wouldn’t believe that there was any- Police in Nottinghamshire have
thing wrong with her. confirmed Adrian Radu, 27, of Al-
“Most of the time she’s laughing, freton Road, Nottingham, has been
giggling and enjoying herself but charged with causing death by dan-
there are some days which are worse gerous driving, dangerous driving,

and that’s when we need to keep a
close eye on her.
“When doctors told us there was
no further treatment available, it
was so surreal and it was like I had
been just hit by a train going at a
thousand miles an hour.
“I was just numb and I think I still
am.
“When she’s all right, Billie is just
like any other girl her age. I just
don’t think it’s fully hit us yet.
“Billie spent her first birthday
and Christmas in hospital so we are
making sure that she gets what she
deserves while she can.”
Billie was born on June 15, 2016 as
Gemma and her partner Craig
Bousfield began to take over the
New Bridge Inn, in Shelton Lock.
Only months after she was born,
Billie started to become ill after
constantly vomiting which promp-
ted her parents to take her to a local
GP to find out what was wrong.
The GP initially diagnosed a viral
infection but Gemma and 40-year-
cancer blow
old dad Craig both felt it was far
worse.
Days later, after Billie failed to
improve, the couple took their
daughter to Derby Royal Hospital’s
A&E where she was diagnosed with
the stomach infection, gastroenter-
itis.
Gemma said their other daughter
Amelia, four, had previously had the
condition and the symptoms were
different. They say “they just knew
it wasn’t the same thing”.
Days later, after Billie’s condition
deteriorated, Gemma and Craig
took her back to A&E, where they
were told she had meningitis.
Billie only spent a few days on the
ward before she was sent home.
However, it didn’t stop there after
her parents rushed her back to hos-
pital again – the same night that she
was discharged.
Finally, a CT scan was conducted
on Billie before her parents were
referred to the Queen’s Medical
Centre, in Nottingham.
Gemma added: “I remember the
doctors telling me that they didn’t
really know what it was but that we
would probably hear words like ‘tu-
mour’ or ‘mass’ at the hospital. We
didn’t know what to really expect at
the time to be honest.”
Doctors found that Billie had a
four-centimetre tumour in her brain
and spent the next three months in
hospital after being diagnosed with
posterior fossa ependymoma, a type
of cancer that originates in the
brain.
Gemma never left her daughter’s
side and the couple decided to aban-
don their pub business in order to
look after Billie.
The tot suffered several complic-
ations and infections to the point
where she almost died after being in
hospital for only a day.
Billie’s first surgery was a biopsy
which found out the tumour was a
grade three cancer and, just before
Christmas 2016, she had a major
operation to remove the mass inside
her head.
The young girl spent her first
Christmas in hospital and was im-
mediately started on chemotherapy
in the January.
After her last chemotherapy ses-
sion this year, in February, Billie
had an MRI scan to determine if the
treatment had worked.
But doctors revealed that the tu-
mour had re-grown.
Gemma said: “We were still op-
timistic despite the news. We were
told we could have radiotherapy or
proton therapy to treat her.
“We were a bit disappointed but
we knew that we had options on the
table.”
Billie was scheduled for surgery
to remove the second tumour on
March 4, but her parents were told
that she Place
was too ill and your
would not
survive the anaesthetic.
online recruiter.fish4.co.uk
Gemma Smith and Craig Devastating news came just days
Bousfield with their later when experts told Craig and
children Billie and Gemma that the tumour had grown
Amelia. Billie, who is 21 once again and the cancer had
months old, has been spread down her spine.
diagnosed with incurable Doctors began to start Billie on
cancer and is having palliative care and her parents have
palliative care at her been doing everything possible ever
home in Alvaston. Funds since to make her happy.
are being raised to make Friends and family have since
her life more been rallying around Gemma and
comfortable. Craig by raising money to ensure
Billie can enjoy her final days.
Gemma’s father, Nige Ayling, has
set up a GoFundMe page which has
raised more than £2,000 and Rebecca
Place yourPlace
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McNulty,
your Gemma’s cousin, is hold-
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ing a pool tournament fund-raiser
online recruiter.fish4.co.uk
on April 13, at Allestree Club.
online recruiter.fish4.co.uk
Another pool fund-raiser will also
phone 0333phone
advertisment 321 2601 0333 321 at
be held 2601
Stapleford Cue Club on
email jobs@trinitymirror.com
email jobs@trinitymirror.com
April 7.
driving while disqualified, driving
while over the prescribed limit, fail-
ing to stop after a collision and
driving without insurance.
Mr Radu has been remanded in
custody to appear at Nottingham
Crown Court on Tuesday, April 24.
After the crash a spokesman for
Nottinghamshire Police said: “The
incident was responded to by am-
bulance and fire crews, as well as
officers from neighbouring forces.
“On arrival officers found mem-
bers of the public coming to the aid
of those involved and we extend our
thanks to them.”
Police charge man
over alleged threats
A MAN has been charged and is due
to appear at court after allegedly
chasing two people down an Ilkeston
street and threatening them with a
dumbbell.
Patrolling PCSOs came across the
incident on Wednesday in Orchard

Weather
phone 0333 321 2601 Street, Ilkeston.
Adam Higton, 39, of Nottingham
email
Place your advertisment
email jobs@trinitymirror.com
jobs@trinitymirror.com Road, Ilkeston, was arrested by
For more information go to weather.co.uk email jobs@trinitymirror.com
online recruiter.fish4.co.uk
phone 0333 321 2601
officers and has now been charged
phone 0333 321 2601
email jobs@trinitymirror.com

Around Britain Today’s Weather Four-Day Outlook phone 0333 321 2601
with threatening a person with an
offensive weapon in a public place.
Thursday
°C °F
Friday
°C °F Increasing clouds with a chance of rain today. Highs from 9 to Friday www.fish4jobs.co.uk Higton is due to appear at South-
ern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court
11C. Gentle southeast wind. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain Rain. in St Mary’s Gate, Derby, on Tuesday,
Birmingham rain 8 47 rain 7 46 tonight. Lows from 2 to 5C. Moderate southeast wind.
follow us:
April 10, for his first court appear-
Bristol rain 8 47 rain 6 44 7° C/ 46°F 2° C/ 37°F Fish4jobs.co.uk follow us: ance.
Cardiff rain 8 47 rain 7 45 follow us:
Carlisle pcloudy 10 51 tstorms 8 47 Stoke-on-Trent Saturday Fish4jobs.co.uk
Exeter rain 8 48 rain 7 46 Derby Nottingham Chance of rain. follow us: Fish4jobs.co.uk
Gloucester rain 8 48 rain 7 46
Leeds rain 8 47 rain 6 44 Burton-on-Trent
7° C/ 45°F 1° C/ 35°F Fish4jobs.co.uk
River Trent River Leen
Liverpool rain 9 49 rain 9 49
London rain 8 48 rain 7 46 Birmingham Leicester Sunday Bucknall 0.20 0.39 Bulwell 0.36 1.10
Clifton Bridge 1.25 2.90 Lenton 0.17 1.00
Manchester rain 10 50 rain 8 48 Overcast. Colwick 1.63 3.60 River Soar
Norwich rain 10 50 rain 8 47 Coventry Cambridge
Nottingham rain 8 47 rain 7 46
7° C/ 45°F 2° C/ 36°F Shardlow
Willington
1.06
1.59
1.70
2.35
Freemen Weir 0.21 0.47
Northampton Littlethorpe 0.84 2.13
Plymouth rain 8 47 rain 8 48 River Derwent
Monday
Swansea clear
rain -18
47 47 clear
rain -18
8 8 Church White 0.87 1.60 River Rea
Chance of rain.
Around the World Derby City 0.75 2.00 Calthorpe Park 0.45 0.42

Thursday Friday Sun & Moon 8° C/48°F 6° C/ 43°F River Cole River Tame

River Levels
Solihull 0.29 0.42 Perry Park 0.49 0.87
°C °F °C °F Sunrise 6:49 a.m.
Amsterdam rain 8 48 pcloudy 12 55 Sunset 7:36 p.m.
Moonrise 5:05 p.m. Current (m) Flood Current (m) Flood
Beijing clear 20 68 pcloudy 20 68 River Trent River Leen
Moonset 6:20 a.m. Mar. 31 Apr. 8 Apr. 15 Apr. 22 Bucknall 0.20 0.39 Bulwell 0.36 1.10
Corfu clear 18 65 pcloudy 17 64 Full Last New First
Majorca
Mexico City
pcloudy
clear
20
27
69
81
pcloudy 16
pcloudy 23
61
75
Almanac Clifton Bridge
Colwick
Shardlow
1.25
1.63
1.06
2.90
3.60
1.70
Lenton
River Soar
Freemen Weir
0.17

0.21
1.00

0.47
Birmingham Cambridge Derby Nottingham
Willington 1.59 2.35 Littlethorpe 0.84 2.13
Moscow clear 0 33 pcloudy 0 33 River Derwent River Nene
Yesterday's High (°C/°F) 7/46 7/46 10/51 10/50
New Delhi clear 37 99 clear 36 98 Church White 0.87 1.60 Kislingbury 0.20 1.89
Yesterday's Low (°C/°F) 4/39 5/41 4/40 5/41
DET-E01-S2 DET

DET-E01-S2 DET
New York rain 12 54 rain 16 62 Derby City 0.75 2.00 South Bridge 1.16 1.20
Yesterday's Precip 0.14" 0.00" 0.00" 0.00" River Cam River Ouse
Paris rain 11 53 rain 11 53 Cambridge Baits Bite 0.27 0.29 Goole -0.37 na
Stoke-
Rio pcloudy 31 88 clear 30 87 Burton-on-Trent Coventry Leicester on-Trent Dernford 0.19 0.40 Selby Lock 2.83 3.78
River Cole River Rea
Rome pcloudy 19 67 rain 18 66
Yesterday's High (°C/°F) 8/48 9/49 9/49 7/45 Solihull 0.29 0.42 Calthorpe Park 0.45 0.42
Sydney clear 27 81 pcloudy 28 83 Yesterday's Low (°C/°F) 6/42 4/40 5/41 4/40 River Tame River Granta
Tokyo clear 21 71 pcloudy 16 61 Yesterday's Precip 0.00" 0.12" 0.00" 0.00" Perry Park 0.49 0.87 Stapleford 0.20 1.02
4