The family of a Duncraig teenager who is battling a sixth relapse of leukaemia are desperately trying to fund potentially lifesaving treatment overseas after exhausting all medical options in Australia. Frank Li has spent 12 of his 15 years battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, enduring relentless rounds of chemotherapy, two bone marrow transplants, immunotherapies and extensive radiation treatments. Frank was diagnosed about a month before his fourth birthday and has spent more than half of his life since in hospital. After finishing treatment for his fifth relapse in May 2024, Frank was able to return to Carine Senior High School in September and again take up his much-loved hobbies of fencing and soccer. But in a devastating blow in January, a swollen right eye that was initially dismissed as hayfever turned out to be cancer, with the leukaemia returning for a sixth time on Frank’s right eyelid and left kidney. Frank’s mother Rita Liu said she and her husband Bright Li were heartbroken to discover he had exhausted all his treatment options in Australia, prompting them to turn to hospitals overseas in a desperate attempt to save their son’s life. After contacting doctors in America, China and Hong Kong, the family got in touch with the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore, which is seeing success with an innovative new treatment. Doctors at the hospital have told Frank’s family that a double allogeneic stem cell transplant offers the teenager a chance at survival. But the therapy costs $400,000, prompting Ms Liu to turn to the public in a race against time. A fundraising page set up this week has already received more than $70,000 in donations. The treatment requires stem cells from Frank’s parents, and Perth Children’s Hospital is already working with KK Hospital in the hope Frank can undergo the treatment in three to four weeks’ time. Ms Liu said the response from friends, the school communities in Duncraig and Carine, and strangers had given the family hope during their darkest time. “I cannot put into words how deeply grateful I am,” she said. “As a mother, I cannot let my child’s treatment slip away because of money — especially when we know this treatment could work for him and has already helped children with similar conditions. “So I have no choice. I have to do whatever it takes to raise the funds. I have to make it happen. I must save him.” If the family can fund the treatment, Frank will undergo radiation and chemotherapy at PCH before travelling to Singapore for the double transplant. Despite the “unimaginable physical and emotional pain” he had endured for years, Mrs Liu said her son had shown remarkable resilience. “Anyone who knows him can attest to his kindness, warmth, unwavering positivity and deep love for life,” Ms Liu said. “Undoubtedly, this treatment journey is filled with challenges. But Frank possesses an unbreakable will to live. “Without hesitation, he chose to fight — to keep moving forward, to survive. “And as his parents, we will stand unwaveringly by his side, fighting this battle with him until the very end.” Mrs Liu left her job in 2013 to care for Frank full-time. The family of five have since relied solely on Mr Li’s income. The couple have two younger sons, Ivan and Jeremy. Frank’s parents have donated bone marrow to Frank, in 2020 and 2023, and have travelled four times to Sydney and once overseas for treatment. “However, this time, faced with astronomical treatment costs, we have truly reached our limit and are unable to afford it,” Mrs Liu said. “Every donation, no matter the size, gives Frank hope and a chance for survival, allowing us to be by his side with the love and care he needs to endure this battle.” “We hope that one day, when we emerge from this ordeal, we can pay it forward and give back to society.” To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-frank-li