A new research scholarship to combat childhood brain tumours will be launched tonight in honour of two year old Perth toddler Ethan Davies.
Ethan was diagnosed in January 2012 with ependymoma, a rare form of brain tumour, and has undergone complex surgery, chemotherapy and specialised radiation.
The annual scholarship fund aims to raise an initial amount of $150,000 to support a neurosurgeon to undertake innovative research in the Brain Tumour Laboratory at Perth's The Kids for Child Health Research.
The Kids Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said the scholarship stemmed from an extraordinary commitment from Ethan's parents, Shannon and Christie-Lee, at a time of great challenge for the family.
"In the midst of what would be a devastating diagnosis for most families, Ethan's parents have been selfless in thinking about what they can do to stop this terrible disease from striking other children and provide more effective, less debilitating treatments," Professor Carapetis said.
"The addition of a neurosurgeon to our brain cancer research team will provide a new perspective and build on the already impressive range of expertise within this research group."
Ethan's dad Shannon said that hope had become an important part of life for him and Ethan's mum Christie-Lee.
"We hope first and foremost that Ethan does not suffer a recurrence of his cancer.
Beyond that, we hope that he continues to recover so that one day he can eat and drink with us at the dinner table, can learn the words to say that he loves us, and can play sport with his dad," Shannon said.
"And we hope that the Scholarship named for Ethan will help fund the research necessary to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of brain cancer for children just like him - so that something positive can come from Ethan's misfortune."
Donations to the Ethan Davies Scholarship for Brain Cancer Research can be made here
About the Ethan Davies Scholarship for Brain Cancer Research By Dr Nick Gottardo, Co-Leader of the Institute's brain tumour research program Childhood cancer is the second most common cause of death in children and brain tumours are the major cause of childhood cancer-related mortality.
Although survival for children with brain tumours has improved over the last 30 years, survival rates for the past decade have reached a plateau well below that of other childhood cancers, such as leukaemia. Moreover, long-term treatment-related health problems continue to be a major issue for survivors, significantly impacting upon their quality of life. In Western Australia alone, approximately 20 children are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.
Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop new and more effective drugs and treatment strategies to improve the outcome for children with brain tumours.
To address this need, the Ethan Davies Scholarship for Brain Cancer Research will provide funding to support a bright, young trainee brain surgeon to undertake research in childhood brain tumours within the Brain Tumour Laboratory at The Kids for Child Health Research.
The scholarship will harness the skills of a brain surgeon in order to develop innovative model systems of childhood brain tumours that simulate the disease in children. These models will then be used to test the effectiveness of new drugs and treatment strategies, so that the most promising therapies can be used immediately to treat this devastating cause of illness in children.
