A CHARITY concert featuring a host of Irish country music talent is taking place tonight (Thursday) to raise money for a toddler who was diagnosed with cancer late last year.

The event is in aid of toddler Nadezda (Nadia) Laporionok, who has been diagnosed with cancer of the soft tissue (Rhabdomyosarcoma).

It is being held in the Delany Suite in Mahon’s Hotel, Irvinestown. Doors will be open at 8pm until late, with a raffle on the night as well.

Among the acts taking to the stage on the night are The Big O, Gerard Dornan, Country Features, Thomas Milligan, Malcolm Coulter, Anthony McBrien, Alana Quinn, Andy Lowry, Neil Livingstone, Vincy Walmsley and Patricia Maguire.

The admission will cost £10. All the money raised with be donated to the fund for two-year-old Nadia’s treatment for cancer.

Since her diagnosis, she has been in the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast, where she began intensive chemotherapy, had a tracheostomy, contracted a chest infection, went into a coma, recovered and recently underwent her fourth round of chemotherapy.

Meanwhile, the fundraising efforts were launched in a bid to send Nadia to the Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem which is a world leader in the treatment of Rhabdomyosarcoma, and is the little girl’s only hope of a cure.

Nadia’s life has been filled with hospital appointments as she was born with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, an overgrowth condition which means that affected infants are considerably larger than normal.

She had a cleft palate, problems with swallowing, a large tongue and an exomphalos on her belly.

She underwent plastic surgery for her cleft palate at six months and a tongue reduction at 18 months.

To discover she has cancer was a devastating additional blow for the family.

If you are not able to come for this good cause event and would like to donate something, you could do it few different ways, including through GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/little-princess-battle-with-sarcoma, via PayPal at: www.paypal.me/AleksandrL, or get in touch by emailing: laporionok@gmail.com