Cambridge's Katie Herron, 7, loses lifelong battle against rare cancer

Cambridge's Katie Herron has died after a lifelong battle with a rare form of cancer.

Her fatherPaulposted to Facebook on Wednesday that his 7-year-old daughter had died Tuesday night.

Katie won the hearts of many people in and around Cambridgeas they rallied to fundraise $500,000 in 2015for an experimental cancer treatmentonly available in the U.S.

• OHIP to pay for 6-year-old's experimental cancer treatment
• Christmas in October for terminally ill boy celebrated by Ontario town

That fundraising continued this year, as she faced her fourth battle with cancer.

Fund raiser

In January, K-W's Rob Brunette helped organizean event at the Grand River Hotel, to help ease the financial burden on Katie'sfamily.

Brunette lost his wife to cancer, which he said was painful enough. He can't imagine what the girl'sfamily is going through.

"It's one thing to lose a parent. It's another thing to lose a wife. But to lose a child? That's got to be twice as devastating ...That's what hit me the hardest."

Rare cancer

At 18 months, Herron was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in her legs. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a bone marrow transplant, she was told by her doctors that a T-cell therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania was her best bet.

In a previous trial, 27 of 30 patients were cancer-free after the procedure.

The cost of the experimental treatment was eventually covered byOHIPand the family used the money to pay for living expenses while in Philadelphia this past fall.

Lung infection complicates remission

In January, her father wrote that a fungal lung infection had complicated Katie's chances at remission, and her bone marrow was full of leukemic cells.

"Her body is fatigued and she has had some recent liver issues from prevoius[sic]and recent treatments. During our meeting yesterday at Sick Kids [Hospital], the palliativecare team were present and we all agreed the best thing for now is to get Katie home, continue with a maintenance chemo, let her body and spirits recover and regroup," he wrote on Facebook on Jan. 7, 2017.

Katie died in her parents' arms on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Funeral and memorial services have not yet been announced.