Into the Unknown: Battling Childhood Cancer

Just before Christmas our brother Dom and his wife Jess discovered that their darling daughter Rosa had a malignant brain tumour. After taking her to the GP for some nasty headaches, things escalated very quickly. On Christmas Eve all of the visible tumour was successfully removed but, unfortunately, it was a highly aggressive form of cancer that is extremely rare in children (glioblastoma multiforme). Underlying this is a genetic mutation called constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD), which predisposes children to developing different types of cancer. CMMRD can cause cancers in other parts of the body as well and it is not uncommon for kids to develop more than one form of cancer over their lifetime, commonly within the first 10 years of life. Because CMMRD is a genetic disorder, Rosa’s brother Orson, as well as Jess and Dom, will need to be screened. 

Dom and Jess have shown incredible strength and have been dealing with this crisis in such a calm and loving way that has impressed us all. 

Rosa will need ongoing treatment with the hope of inhibiting the regrowth of the brain tumour and possibly further interventions as time goes by. Orson needs no medical intervention at present and the family await genetic testing to determine any other diagnoses or risks. Dom and Jess will need to spend as much time as possible supporting Rosa, Orson and each other through what will be a very difficult and uncertain time. 

Dom and Jess don’t know what’s ahead, but what they do know is they will need to take significant and prolonged leave from work. 
 
If you are able, please help Dom, Jess, Rosa and Orson to maximise the time they can spend together by donating to this GoFundMe. All funds will go directly to Dom and Jess to help them manage financially while they take necessary leave from work and to cover any expenses that arise to help them tackle the lows, and make the most of the highs. 

Thank you so much for your support.