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More on KentOnline
A mum whose daughter died from a rare form of brain cancer is backing further funding for research.
Emily Green, from Lordswood, was six when she was diagnosed in February 2013.
Despite undergoing several procedures, the Lordswood Primary School pupil died nine months later.
Her mother Julie decided not to tell Emily how ill she was and said she never complained about her illness. Julie, also mum to Alice, 12, is backing a petition calling on the government to fund more research into childhood cancers, including the one Emily suffered from.
The youngster reported a stomach ache and pains in her neck. Doctors diagnosed her with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).
Julie said: “There’s absolutely no cure whatsoever.
“The time between diagnosis and death is nine months and Emily died exactly nine months after diagnosis.
“About 40 children in the UK are diagnosed with DIPG in a year, which is about one child every nine days. They lose all functions; my daughter lost the ability to swallow, lost her sight, she couldn’t walk and she was paralysed down one side of her face.
“Some have trial surgery and without the research and trials, there’s no chance of finding a cure for it. It’s seen as a rare cancer and it’s specific to children so there’s very little known about it.
“It’s really a case of getting the government to do something about it. The research needs to be done. Our children are dying with no hope.”
To sign the petition, click here.
