The Katie McKerracher Trust has been established to help other children - children who have a Diffuse Pontine Glioma and those who are healthy enough to enjoy her favourite pastime, dancing. The former will consume the vast majority of the funds and volunteer's efforts.

The Trust will continue to raise money in order to support its activities and make sure that other children benefit.

Katie Steel McKerracher - The Katie McKerracher Trust

Katie, our only daughter, was just 10 when she was diagnosed on 28th February 2008 with a Diffuse Pontine Glioma, a brain tumour on her brain stem. Always a lively, lovely girl who loved riding her pony Bennie Katie also adored going to Highland, tap and stage dancing in Hawick. She was a fantastic dancer and spent hours practising in front of the mirror in her bedroom.  Katie was in primary 6 at Kirkhope Primary School (Ettrickbridge) when she fell ill. Over a period of 5-6 weeks Katie had progressively begun to suffer dizziness, felt nauseous occasionally and lost her confidence. After several visits to doctors Katie was referred to the Borders General Hospital for a MRI scan. Never in a million years could we have imagined we would then be told that Katie had a 'terminal' illness, and the consultant thought she would survive “six, nine months, maybe a year”.

Katie had radio- and chemotherapy for 6 weeks. Very quickly she was in a wheelchair and unable to walk. At the end of May, having had an operation to remove fluid from her brain, doctors told us that they could not offer any more treatment as Katie's blood counts had suffered so badly from the chemotherapy. By the end of June, Katie could not move, talk or eat.

Having been pushed into a corner we started to see a Healer. Katie soon showed a remarkable improvement and was able to chat, draw, go to the local pub for her favourite meal and give her two brothers cheek again!

Sadly after 3 months Katie's health deteriorated again, but we never gave up hope and always remained positive, looking to a time in the future when Katie would recover. On 27th January 2009 Katie passed away. She suffered respiratory failure. All our hope for helping her recoverhad gone and life for our family has a huge gap.

Our understanding of what a Diffuse Pontine Glioma is -

A diffuse pontine glioma is a tumour in the brain stem.
These tumours are inoperable because they are located in a critical part of the brain.
These tumours are malignant and grow rapidly.
The symptoms include muscle weakness on one side of the body, swallowing problems, speech problems, crossed eyes, drowsiness, and personality changes.
Most children die within a year of diagnosis.
The average age of patients is 5-10 years old.
Around 35 children are diagnosed each year with Diffuse Pontine Gliomas in the UK.
References:
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site762/mainpageS762P0.html
http://www.cclg.org.uk/families/publications/pdfs/8/BrainstemGliomas.pdf
http://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/rmh/cancer/paediatriccancers/pontineglioma

What will Katie's Trust do?

The Katie McKerracher Trust has been established to help other children with a Diffuse Pontine Glioma by,

Meeting with patients and families to help them understand what might happen and answer their questions.
Offering some financial assistance to patients to deal with practical day-to-day issues.
Providing some financial assistance to access alternative healing or therapy if appropriate.
Working with health professionals to seek to improve treatment of Diffuse Pontine Glioma patients.
We will also remember Katie's love of dancing by awarding a small grant annually to one dancer from the Borders continuing their studies in Higher Education.

Further information:

http://www.katiemckerrachertrust.co.uk