Mum inspired to raise thousands after daughter dies of tumour (From Streatham Guardian)
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Mum inspired to raise thousands after daughter dies of tumour
6:30am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News By Alexandra Rucki
Fitness participants on Wandsworth Common
A mother who lost her daughter to a rare type of brain tumour is aiming to raise £100,000 into it's research.
Anita O' Connor, Northcote Road, Battersea, launched the first charity event, a fitness session on Wandsworth Common on Friday.
Her daughter, Elsie Crosthwaite, died of the rare disease known as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPGs) aged six.
The tumour affects only 40 children in the UK and is terminal for those diagnosed with it.
The event, run by Mary Turner, a fitness instructor, whose daughter was in the same class as Elsie in Honeywell School, Battersea was collecting funds for Mums Against DIPG (MAD), set up by three mums who lost their daughters to the disease.
While Elsie was being treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital Ms O' Connor joined forces with another two mums to raise money for research methods into DIPG.
They were also joined on Friday by Annie Clemenger, 47, whose daughter Tilly Clemenger was Elsie's best friend at school.
There will be two more fitness events taking place on the common beforea mammoth event at the end of May when they will be canoeing, biking and scaling Scafell Pike in the Lake District for 24 hours.
Elsie's dad, Graham Crosthwaite, will also be running the London Marathon in April to raise funds for the charity and children's cancer charity Clic Sargeant.
A total of £25,000 has already been raised by the mums.
Ms O'Connor, 41, said: "It would have been Elsie's eighth birthday on 27th May so the timing is very meaningful.
"Because of this situation we are in, this rare brain tumour is unfunded and lots of parents do fundraising to try and find more effective treatments.
"These tumours are inoperable, chemotherapy is ineffective and radiotherapy can sometimes extend life by a number of months."
To make a donation visit justgiving.com/mumsagainstdipg or facebook.com/TheM.A.D.ChallengeMay2013
