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Simon Tansey (Islas daddy), Diane Saunders & Jackie "Poppins" Moore (Islas Aunties),Sally Moore, Edward Cole, Jamie & Jenny Larkin and Kolby Johnson are helping to raise money for the Isla Smiler Researcher. 

What better way, facing our fears and trying to be as BRAVE AS ISLA and the other beautiful children who have suffered with DIPG by jumping out of a plane!  

This is Isla’s legacy and we hope you are proud to be part of it.
Islastones have teamed up with Abbie’s Army an official charity to help fund a dedicated ‘Isla Smiler DIPG Trials Researcher’.

7 year old Isla woke up in August 2017 unable to walk, after many horrible treatments, surgery and radiotherapy, Isla was in January 2018 diagnosed as having Difuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) - and there was no further treatment options for her, Isla sadly passed away in July 2018.

Since Isla’s death on the 10th July 2018 we have been contacted many times about fundraising in Isla’s name. We have decided that we would like to focus any fundraising on research into DIPG and childhood cancers.
We have decided that we will target all Fundraising for an Isla Smiler Researcher.
We need to raise £73,000 to cover this position for 2 years & with your help we can do it!

About DIPG:
DIPG has a 0% survival rate, only 10% of children survive 2 years following their diagnosis and less than 1% survive for 5 years. The average survival is 9 months from diagnosis. These children show such bravery but they shouldn't have to, so this needs to change and with your help maybe we can make a difference for other children in the future.

About DIPG Research:
Abbie’s Army has been supporting Professor Chris Jones’ laboratory for some time at the Institute of Cancer Research. They have been funding, processing and analysing DIPG samples from the UK BIOMEDE trial for DIPG- so far there have been 25 patients processed.
However, we now need to do MORE to progress this research.
Professor Jones’ laboratory is becoming the UK biology reference centre for more DIPG trials, there is now a need to have a dedicated DIPG Trials Scientific Officer in his laboratory to expand the ICR’s capacity and continue the work not only on the BIOMEDE trial, but to include children’s samples from other trials in the UK and Europe.
Abbie’s Army, working alongside #Islastones want to fund this new researcher who will process the trial samples and attempt to establish both 2D and 3D cell cultures in the laboratory. They will ensure the models undergo molecular profiling and carry out bespoke drug screening needed to inform the treating clinicians of the children enroled.
By supporting this research you will be playing a major part in efforts to develop tailored treatments for children with DIPG, in the fastest possible time, with maximum benefit and minimum side-effects.
A targeted treatment is also a ‘kinder’ treatment.
Abbie’s Army will still be funding all the biology for all trials for each patient investigated but we cannot do it all alone.
Please join us to save a life, make a donation, organise a fundraising event and support us today every penny will help.
“Our understanding of DIPG is rapidly improving thanks to collaborations between scientists, clinicians, funding bodies and families around the world who are determined to defeat these diseases. Thanks to charities such as Abbie’s Army, I truly believe that we are on the cusp of real improvements in the survival of children with DIPG.” – Professor Chris Jones, ICR
We couldn’t make a difference for our beautiful Isla Smiler and other children that have been lost to this devastating disease but with this researcher post maybe we can now.

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