We need better medicine for children like my brother Dax
Darcie, 7, started petition for cancer funding cash
A HEARTBROKEN little girl has started a petition to get more funding for child cancer after her baby brother died from a rare brain tumour.
Darcie Peek’s sibling Dax was only two when he succumbed to his acoustic neuroma/vestibular schwannoma last August, leaving the family devastated. The youngster from Dunbar, East Lothian, had only been diagnosed with the disease in March after he started vomiting and could no longer walk in a straight line. Darcie watched her brother’s struggles and decided to work toward getting “better medicine” for kids with his condition. The seven-year-old gathered signatures from her primary two class at Dunbar Primary School for a petition to improve funding for childhood cancer and treatment. That inspired proud parents Jonny and Devon Peek to launch a petition at change.org which has been signed by nearly 500 people. Devon said: “We were inspired by our little girl Darcie who started collecting her classmates’ signatures so she could get better medicine for children like Dax. “Dax had had a very aggressive and short battle with cancer last year. He passed away in August. “What he went through was horrendous, a nightmare, and all in hope of saving his life. Watching Dax go through that and losing him has obviously had a huge impact on us all, especially Darcie.
“She often collects money to give to charity and is always coming up with ideas to help.
“There have been huge steps forward made in childhood cancer but they still receive minimal funding and the children and families facing childhood cancer deserve more, deserve better.
“Many children are left facing side-effects of treatment, some being serious and long-term.
“More funding would allow research to create the safer, kinder and more effective treatments that children need and deserve.”
She added: “We’re so incredibly proud of Darcie. She’s only seven, she’s just lost her baby brother and yet she still thinks of doing these things to help make changes and help others.
“She’s got a really big heart. We know Dax would be so proud of her too.”
A note on Devon’s Instagram at the time of Dax’s death read: “Sending your love is more than enough but if you still feel like you need or want to do something then making a donation to @children withcanceruk would be amazing.
“No child should suffer this awful disease but the reality is that worldwide a child is diagnosed every three minutes. Child cancer and adult cancer are very different and so is the focus, research and funding.
“Child cancer does not get enough of any of those to effectively research and create treatments and help the little warriors.”
She’s got a really big heart. Dax woud be so proud DEVON PEEK MUM OF DARCIE AND DAX