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More on KentOnline
A bereaved parent is supporting a petition calling on the government to fund research into a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
Amanda and Ray Mifsud, from Brabourne, near Ashford, lost their six-year-old daughter in 2011 - months after she was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
Now Mrs Mifsud - who supports other families across the country through charity Abbie's Army - is urging people to sign a petition calling for more awareness and research to improve the outcome for children diagnosed with DIPG.
It comes after her daughter Abbie visited the GP complaining of a lack of energy and trouble controlling her eyes - which quickly led an urgent hospital appointment and an MRI scan revealing a mass in her brain stem.
The pair lost their only child five months after she was diagnosed with the aggressive brain cancer.
The highly malignant brain tumour affects about 40 children in the UK each year.
Treatment options are limited and the survival rate ranges from nine to 12 months following diagnosis.
So far, more than 39,800 people have signed the petition launched by Fiona Govan from Scotland - who was supported by Abbie's Army after losing her three-year-old grandson.
It must meet the 100,000 mark before the deadline on Monday, August 5 in order to be debated in parliament.
"We support people in their darkest days and we have been through it before so we understand", said Amanda.
"We will always support people with a petition.
"It has had quite a good response in Ashford and about 530 people have already signed it.
"It is difficult to spread awareness, we are a small charity and we haven't got the reach that larger charities do.
"We are scattered around the country - we have to come together as a community to beat this."
"We support people in their darkest days and we have been through it before so we understand"...Amanda Mifsud
The government responded after the petition reached the 10,000 signature mark, however the Petitions Committee is set to seek a revised response as the petitioner was unsatisfied with it.
The 51-year-old added: "Even if it doesn't get over 100,000 signatures, at least we will still get a revised response and get the largest amount of signatures on a DIPG petition.
"Historically in research, brain tumours get very little funding.
"If a treatment is failing these children need to be able to move on to another.
"I do not want any money just a minute of time from those other parents like myself who just 'didn't know' who might sign a petition calling on government to investigate research funding levels.
"I know we can do this and get all these children the attention they deserve."
Click here to sign the petition.
For more information about Abbie's Army, click here.
