£40,000 fundraising campaign set up for Doncaster youngster with deadly brain tumour

Little Erin Moran was diagnosed with the fatal cancer just over a month ago – and her parents Chris and Nina were given the devastating news that there is no cure for the tumour, known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG.

But family friend Joe Tillotson has set up a fundraising campaign to help pay for pioneering treatment abroad which could extend Erin’s life and which has already drawn in more than £23,000.

He said: “We just want to do everything possible to give Erin and her family the best possible outlook.

“There is no miracle cure and it is absolutely heartbreaking for her friends and family but we want to do all we can to give them support at such a difficult time.”

Six-year-old Erin, a keen swimmer, gymnast and fit and healthy youngster, first started developing problems earlier this year after developing a squint in her eye.

Said Mr Tillotson: “Erin started with a squint on 19 April this year and was seen at the opticians, leading to an urgent eye clinic appointment.

“A CT scan was done and it was initially thought that they could rule out anything life-threatening.”

But on April 29 Erin developed slurred speech and was taken by her parents to A&E where again she was discharged.

On May 3, Erin had weakness in her right arm and then a day later her right leg weakened too.

After more tests, on May 5 an MRI scan was done and Chris and Nina were told that they had found a lesion on the pons – part of the brain stem.

The following day they were given the utterly devastating news that they were going to lose their little girl.

The couple, who live in Campsall, with their other daughter Freya, ten, were told that the DIPG tumour is one of the most fatal of children’s brain cancers.

Added Mr Tillotson: “DIPG tumours are high grade and grow quickly - which means that symptoms develop swiftly, over a short time-frame and can be disabling.

“The tumour attacks the brain stem affecting breathing, body temperature, heart rate, eye movements and swallowing.

“The prognosis for Erin is very upsetting as the average life expectancy from diagnosis is less than one year. Only 10% live for at least two years and 2% survive for as long as five years even with treatment.”

Surgery is not possible in the UK for DIPG tumours because the tumour is in such a delicate and important area of the brain.

Erin has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy in Sheffield and Mr Tillotson added: “She started a five week course to try and shrink the tumour in the hope that it will ease her symptoms.

“In a condition such as DIPG the outlook is one of sadness and despair, and understandably Chris and Nina are seeking opportunities for alternative treatments with specialists across the globe, to try and improve the outlook for their precious little girl.

“With these options Chris and Nina have to weigh up what they are willing to put Erin through and have to give consideration to expense, viability and availability of the treatments in the hope that there is something out there for Erin.”

The couple have extensively researched and want to take Erin to the new DIPG Centre of Expertise in Zurich, Switzerland.

The clinic, located within the Children’s Hospital of the University of Zurich, offers clinical trial options as well as individualised treatment programmes focused on producing improved therapeutic results for children with DIPG to try and improve overall survival times.

The clinic has access to a world class radiation oncology programme as well as specialist trained paediatric neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists and neurologists.

He added: “We would like to raise some funds to help support them through this awful time and to give them the chance to help Erin in any way they can.

“This is the worst nightmare and we want to do everything possible to help.”

You can donate to the GoFundMe fundraising page HERE

An open water swimming event on July 12 at Manvers Lake has also been set up to help raise funds for Erin and details of the event are available HERE