You may wonder what this is all about?

It's about an every day family, that have been together for 25 years, then nine years ago on the 26th May 2009 had a beautiful baby boy. The parents of this baby boy are as happy as any family would be. Years of working, both parents supporting their family, making sacrifices to make life a little better, having days out, holidays, celebrating birthdays, Christmas etc.. No different than most families. We all have these happy memories, sad times but never expect the devastating life-changing things in life to happen to us.

Imagine, you have been to your doctor and he /she refers you to the local hospital, for what you believed is a lazy eye. After a CT scan, you are referred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge by Ambulance. On arrival to the hospital, you have been admitted into a ward, the first major thing is to have an MRI scan, after waiting 2-3 days for the results you find that it is not a lazy eye, you have a very rare brain tumour.

I hope that nobody has to ever have to imagine or live with this diagnoses, it's not you that has this aggressive incurable form of Cancer. It is your Son or daughter.

What you have just read is what happened to our family, we were confronted with this few weeks ago about our 9-year-old son.

What is this Rare Cancer?

What is this rare form of cancer (Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) is a brain tumour found in a part of the brain stem called the pons. The pons controls essential bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, eye movement, eyesight, and balance.

This type of cancer affects children almost exclusively. Approximately 20-40 children in the United Kingdom are diagnosed with this cancer each year. These children are typically between the ages of 4 and 12. This cancer accounts for roughly 10-15% of all brain tumours in children.

This aggressive tumour that interferes with all bodily functions, depriving a child of the ability to move, to communicate, and even to eat and drink.

As the tumour begins to grow, it puts pressure on the nerves that control the essential bodily functions regulated by the pons. Children with this cancer commonly experience double vision, reduced eye movement, facial weakness or asymmetry, and arm and leg weakness. They also have problems with walking, coordination, speech, chewing, and swallowing. As the tumour progresses, it also interferes with breathing and heartbeat.

A justgiving page was set up dedicated to fund the initial treatment through Funding Neuro which has now been reached. This crowdfunding page has now been set up to fund further treatment he will need, and also to support Charlie during the tough times ahead.

I want to thank Team Charlie Stephenson for all of your hard work and support, you have shown. As you can all appreciate this is just the beginning of the fight, and the toughest times are yet to come. We need to find further treatment that can help control/defeat this rare type of brain cancer.

Please join our facebook page to keep up to date with news, updates and fundraisers events.

www.facebook.com/charliestephensonfundraiser

Thank you for you kindness, love and support to keep us as a family

Tony, Soeli and Charlie