I want to make a difference.
- Erin
A diagnosis with an incurable brain cancer brought 11-year-old Erin Griffin’s world crashing down around her. When she passed away in September 2014, she donated the tumour that took her life to our research. Here is her incredible story.
An energetic six-year-old
Erin was born in Scotland and moved to Australia with her family when she was six years old. An energetic and sporty kid, Erin enjoyed gymnastics, ice-skating, dancing, soccer, surf lifesaving and going to the beach.
Erin's favourite pastime was shopping. She loved fashion and took great pride in her appearance.
- Amanda, Erin’s mum
Something's wrong
At age 11, Erin started to experience severe headaches, nausea and vomiting. A CT scan led to the four words no parent wants to hear: Your child has cancer.
There is no conversation harder than telling a parent their child has cancer and there is no treatment.
- Dr David Ziegler
Diagnosis
Erin was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) - a rare brain tumour that develops in the brainstem, affecting the nervous system. DIPG has zero survival rate. Erin was given nine months to live.
I was terrified. I had no idea kids got brain cancer, or that so many children died from cancer.
- Amanda, Erin’s mum
Treatment
Erin's treatment included 30 rounds of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery at the Women and Children's Hospital in Adelaide. She was also included in a gene therapy clinical trial at the Children's Hospital, Westmead, in NSW.
Making a difference
When Erin passed her survival prognosis of nine months, she started campaigning to raise awareness and increase funding for childhood cancer. She petitioned for paediatric cancer research to be made a national priority and spoke at Curefest in Washington DC.
I don't want another family to go through this in 20 years' time because no-one took on board that brain cancer is the nation's biggest killer of kids.
- Amanda, Erin’s mum
A turn for the worst
On the way home from a family holiday to Scotland in July 2014, Erin started to deteriorate very quickly with headaches, poor balance, seizures and pneumonia. She was hospitalised and slowly lost the ability to communicate. See Erin on Sunrise in August 2014.
Erin passes away
Erin passed away on 1 September 2014, minutes into International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. She was 14 years old.
Erin's mission was to spread international awareness of childhood cancer, so she held on until September. Her contribution to the world would have been amazing.
- Amanda, Erin’s mum
Erin's legacy
Erin donated the tumour that took her life to researchers at Children's Cancer Institute, in the hope that the knowledge gained from studying it might ultimately help to destroy DIPG and spare the lives and suffering of other children.
Use these samples, our brain tumours group has tested over 10,000 drugs in the lab and have found several promising candidates, that could lead to the first treatment for DIPG.
If you would like to learn more on our progress for DIPG
I believe we can do for DIPG what has already been done for leukaemia. Once the survival rate for leukaemia was zero; today it's 85%. With enough funding, we can do the same for DIPG.
- Associate Professor David Ziegler, Group Leader, Brain Tumours
How you can help
Give a gift
By giving a gift today, you can make a difference to the lives of children with cancer.
Fundraising and events
Get involved in one of our events or create your own to help find better, safer treatments for children with cancer.
Partnerships
Join our diverse community of businesses, philanthropists and gamechangers, determined to help cure childhood cancer.
Share your story
Have you been touched by childhood cancer and would like to share your story? Please get in touch today.
