Family and friends plan beautiful send off for Skylar, 4, who died just three months after cancer diagnosis

Skylar Faith of Buckleigh Crescent, Hexthorpe, passed away earlier this month after her parents Sarah Evans and Thomas Dowling heard the devastating news in January.

Close family friend Millie Moxon, who Skylar called Aunty, explained: “Our beautiful Skylar was taken into hospital in January due to a suddenly developed last eye, and slight imbalance when walking, by the end of the weekend she was diagnosed with cancer.

“A plan was put in place to use radiotherapy in hopes to reduce the rate at which the cancer was growing and have more time with Skylar before the cancer took hold.“Now just 48 days after diagnosis we are planning her funeral. We lost Skylar on the 16.03.24 at 5:46 holding her mum and dad’s hand, but of course absolutely shattering our entire family.”

She continued: “The usual time for this cancer to steal children is around seven to 11 months, we had a mere three.“There is a goFundMe page which has been running since the start which paid for making Skylar’s last months the most comfortable, and making her smile every second she could before she lost the ability to.

“But now we’re moving onto making the most beautiful send off we possibly can.

“Her incredibly brave mum has made the decision to use the tumours for research in hope that it will one day find a cure for this.”

A special balloon release took place on Saturday as Skylar loved balloons and was attended by nursery staff, friends family and anyone else who had felt the rays of little Skylar.

Millie also gave mention to the people who have been supporting the familty through this temerdously difficult period.

"Sarah has a network of people we call family, firstly Angela Froggatt, or ‘nanny’. has looked after Sarah and her family for years, she took Skylar to her appointments and has been a huge part of Sarah and Skylar’s life.

“Kez Young, Sarah’s oldest friend, offering extra support with the teenage boys and ensuring Sarah keeps smiling through this awful time.

“And Katie Brownline for organising the go fund me page which has meant Sarah has been able to eat well and live as comfortable as possible away from her other children and her home.”

She added: “As we know, it takes a village. I can only hope anyone seeing this article remembers just how incredible she was.”

To donate to the cause and help give Skylar a beautiful and fitting funeral please visit the fundraising page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/a-beautiful-4-year-old-girl-with-brain-cancer?qid=cf9e47d141529098e8f85552a51aa2b6

*DIPG – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma – is a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat. It occurs in an area of the brainstem (the lowest, stem-like part of the brain) which is called the pons, which controls many of the body's most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate.