We are running to raise much needed funding to support treatment and research for a cure for DIPG.

This is motivated by Daisy's story (Matt Wait's niece) who aged 6 was diagnosed last May with an incurable DIPG brain tumour and despite radiotherapy passed away just after her 7th birthday last November, 6 months after her diagnosis.

Daisy went from being a normal child at school one day with no sign of illness to hospital the next and was having radiotherapy by the following week. Daisy’s parents, family and friends continue to raise funds to be used to continue the research and study that has enabled Daisy to be a pioneer in finding a cure for DIPG which will continue to benefit children and families in the future given what has up until now been an unequivocal death sentence.

Her dignity and bravery has helped to pave the way in pioneering a cure for DIPG brain cancer. We will not stop raising awareness of this condition or funds to help find that cure to help the children and families so unfairly affected by this cruel illness.

Remember: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never share them with anyone or send you unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. They'll make sure Gift Aid (an additional 25%) is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer, too. That means more money goes to the charity, faster, with JustGiving.

More Information on DIPG :

DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) is a disease which strikes at the heart of childhood and it is a disease in desperate need of a cure. And at the same time, there may be no better place to start the search for a cure for cancer.

Consider the following:

• Lung cancer has a survival rate of 80% if caught in the early stages to less that 5% if caught in stage 5.
• Breast cancer has typically an 80-90% survival rate.
• Leukemia has a 48% survival rate.
• Less than 10% of DIPG children will live longer than 18 months from diagnosis. Survival is even more rare.

DIPG affects the pons portion of the brainstem, rendering nervous system function impossible. Symptoms include double vision, inability to close the eyelids completely, dropping one side of the face, and difficulty chewing and swallowing. Unfortunately these symptoms usually worsen rapidly because the tumor is rapidly growing.

DIPG, for all its difficulties, presents an opportunity for all forms of cancer. It is one of the most resistant of all cancers to chemotherapy treatments; it affects primarily children (whose treatment has historically led to innovations in many other forms of cancer), and with a “dismal” prognosis, alternatives are few. Put together, these obstacles offer researchers a chance to revolutionize cancer research and prevention. It is even suggested that a cure to DIPG might result in a cure for almost every other type of cancer. For this reason, the cure starts now.