Little Liam’s Trust

#love4liam – His fight against DIPG

This is Liam, he was just 5 years old when at the start of May 2018 his family had the devastating news that he has an incurable and inoperable brain tumour giving Liam up to a year to live. This cancerous brain tumour is called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). Just one child a year would develop this terrible disease at the Queens Medical Centre Nottingham. There is currently no cure. DIPG grows in the area of the brain that controls sleep, respiration, swallowing, bladder control, hearing, taste, eye movement, facial expressions, facial sensation, and posture. Growing in this area makes surgery to remove the cancerous tumour impossible. However tests and trials are being carried out in a handful of places around the world to work towards a cure, or extend the length of the prognosis past a year. This cancer usually only affects children under the age of 10.

Liam lived in Newark and his family said – Liam is the most caring and loveable little boy you could ever meet. He is very intelligent for his age and amazes us everyday. He loves anything car related, Big Ben, The solar system, dancing, The Minions and of course Nottingham Forest FC! He is the best big brother to Evie (3) and thinks the world of her. You only have to meet him once and you will be best friends for life. You will never meet a happier little boy, who will do anything for anyone just to make them smile. We have got to keep fighting for our gorgeous boy and we need all the help we can get. Our family is doing everything possible, amid the whirlwind of disbelief we find ourselves in, to find alternative therapies and options that may work either outside or alongside the NHS. It’s our only hope of helping Liam and if we have hope, we can keep going.

We were pleased that Liam and his family were able to join us on Sunday 10th June 2018 at the Newark Retro Festival and Liam had a great day with us. His family collected over £600 in donations there and were very grateful to everyone who contributed. Subsequently, Retro Festival was able to donate £5000 to the Little Liam Trust Fund which was the proceeds from the sale of Retro Festival brochures, Retro Festival T Shirts and tickets for the Spitfire Cabaret.

Sadly, on 5th November 2018 brave little Liam passed away peacefully in his sleep. He had received various treatments in Nottingham and Birmingham but, ultimately, there was too little time and the cancer spread. He spent his last few days surrounded by his loving family and friends at Rainbows Hospice in Loughborough. This is by no means the end of Liam’s story. His short and incredible life will help others suffering from DIPG and his family and friends hope to have an involvement with raising awareness in the future of this cruel and aggressive illness.

More information about Liam and Little Liam’s Trust can be found at the love4littleliam Facebook page