Faith’s Future was set up in memory of nine-year-old Faith who was five years old when in September 2017 she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain tumour.
Her grandmother Julie shares her story.
In late August 2017, we’d just returned from a family holiday and were in good spirits. But, just a few days later, that all changed when I took Faith for a routine eye test. Something our optician spotted prompted him to refer her for an MRI scan on 4 September. The results of this scan revealed she had medulloblastoma, and she would require 12-hour emergency surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle, to remove this brain tumour.
Though Faith's tumour was successfully removed, she then developed posterior fossa syndrome, a condition that sometimes develops after this type of surgery. This left her aware of those around her, but unable to move and or communicate with us. After six weeks, she was able to regain the ability to do these things, with the aid of physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
Over the next few years, Faith underwent 31 rounds of radiotherapy and four rounds of high-dose chemotherapy to try and cure her of this horrific disease. Throughout everything, she never complained and always, always had a smile on her face. She was only five when she was diagnosed, and had to spend large periods away from our home in Cumbria or regularly travel large distances during her treatment, but she was always so positive and courageous, strong and determined.
Despite her incredible bravery, Faith left us on 2 May 2021.
If I could sum Faith up in three words, they’d be fantastic, bossy and full of fun. She loved sparkles, glitter, rainbows, unicorns and butterflies. Anything bright and colourful. We’ve had glitter all over the house, everyone has been covered in it at one point!
Everybody that met Faith, loved her. She was the type of child that just attracted people, with an infectious smile that really could light up a room. She touched the lives of so many people and this was obvious on the day of her funeral, when what seemed like the whole town turned up to line the streets. She also loved motorbikes and had a 62-bike escort to the crematorium, which shows how well thought of she was.
Faith will always inspire us and so many others, and the money we raise in her memory will go towards research into brain tumours. We hope that by setting up this fund with CCLG, we can help to cure and provide kinder treatments for this devastating disease. We chose the name Faith’s Future, as that is exactly what this is. Her future is now creating a legacy for her, one which helps shape a world where no other child has to go through what she did.
We’ve got lots planned for the fund with a memorial charity day and lots of people from the wider community wanting to get involved. It’s really close-knit here and they all want to help and be doing something to make a difference to other children in the future.
Make a donation to Faith's Future
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Open an online fundraising page for Faith's Future
Set up a regular Direct Debit donation to Faith's Future
Faith's items
Research Projects Funded
Creating a new immunotherapy approach to fight aggressive medulloblastoma
Fundraising pages
Text CCLGFAITH to 70085 to donate £5.
CCLG will receive 100% of your donation. You may also be charged for one text message at your network’s standard or charity rate.
You can make a donation or pay in funds raised by cheque, payable to CCLG, to CCLG, Century House, 24 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GB. Please ensure you make it clear that the donation is for Faith's Future so that your donation is allocated to the correct fund.