Angus Gibson was born on the 12th May 1993 and passed away on the 21st November 1998 at the age of five and a half.
Angus’s symptoms
He felt dizzy on the morning of Wednesday, 8th April 1998 and later in the day was diagnosed as being dehydrated by two doctors at his local surgery. Early that evening, after showing no improvement, he was taken to the large hospital nearby where he was seen by a consultant from New Zealand who recognised there was something seriously wrong with Angus. He was then transferred by ambulance to Southampton General Hospital where after tests and a scan we were advised at 2am on Thursday that he was very seriously ill and that further tests would be conducted that day.
Just after 6pm my wife and I were told that Angus had a rare and aggressive brain tumour and that he had six weeks to live. The nightmare had begun…
We could not accept that Angus’ fate was sealed. Through extensive research, difficult in those days, we were in contact with some of the world’s leading consultants and surgeons who were authorities on paediatric tumours in the UK, the USA and other countries. MRI scans were sent to Boston Children’s Hospital for their neurosurgery team to assess and to several leading children’s hospitals in New York. Sadly, the prognosis was the same. We even managed to get him on a clinical trial run by Dr. Judah Folkman, but Angus passed just before it started. We also had many appointments with the renowned healer Matthew Manning at his home in Hartest in Suffolk. For months every Wednesday we would travel there to meet Matthew. I still feel to this day that Matthew helped Angus hugely. We even took Angus to Lourdes.
Angus was diagnosed as having a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). This is a very rare type of brain tumour that occurs almost exclusively in children. It originates in the pons, which is a delicate area of the brainstem responsible for critical functions like breathing and blood pressure.
Angus’s diagnosis Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)
Angus was diagnosed as having a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). This is a very rare type of brain tumour that occurs almost exclusively in children. It originates in the pons, which is a delicate area of the brainstem responsible for critical functions like breathing and blood pressure.
It is considered a highly aggressive tumour and prognosis for DIPG remains poor. Some promising treatment avenues are being explored however much further research and extensive clinical trials are essential to expand treatment options to counter this deadly form of tumour.
Clearly much needed funding is required on an on-going basis to carry out necessary research in all forms of brain tumours and The Brain Tumour Charity is at the forefront of raising monies to achieve their many objectives.
Fundraising for Paediatric Research
Since Angus passed, we have made numerous personal donations and had fund raising activities including at his former nursery and his school, The Portsmouth Grammar School. However, we wish to conduct these on a more formal basis now. Our son Fergus and his friend cycled to Paris last September £7,268 for The Brain Tumour Charity and in August Fergus will complete three challenges England, Scotland and Wales to raise further funds and increase awareness for the society’s work.
We have started the Angus James Gibson Trust to start an on-going campaign to raise money specifically for Paediatric Research to help develop treatment protocols for these extremely aggressive forms of brain tumour in memory of our dear son.
Angus was a delightful boy, full of energy with a real zest for life. He was a handsome boy with blond hair and blue eyes, with a great sense of humour and a fondness for practical jokes. He was very brave throughout his ordeal, particularly when having his radiotherapy treatment over many weeks at Southampton. As we parked the car he would put on his cap and say, ‘let’s go Dad!’. As he liked practical jokes, I recall him going into the hospital reception placing a large toy black spider on the desk and eagerly awaiting the ladies’ reactions! When he was ill, he was given a tour of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible. He was introduced to Admiral Sir Jock Slater, First Sea Lord, on the visit who showed him his telescope. Angus looked at it and said ‘I have a bigger one that that’ much to the amusement of the other senior naval officers who were present. He would have been a joy to watch growing older and developing into a fine young man. Such a tragedy to be robbed of life at such a young age and for ourselves as parents not to see him grow up.
I sincerely hope that new and effective treatments can be found for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas and for all other paediatric brain tumours and that greater funding can be raised in the future.