Parents of girl with inoperable brain tumour appear on This Morning

Parents of girl, seven, diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour say they may ‘sell their house’ to fund treatment to prolong her life – leaving This Morning viewers devastated

• Craig Jackson and his wife Lois, from Essex, appeared on This Morning today
• Their daughter Edie was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DIPG) in 2019
• The nature of the high grade tumour means surgery to remove it is not an option 

Devastated parents who are desperately trying to raise money to help prolong their little girl’s life after she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour have revealed they may ‘sell their house’.

This Morning viewers were left feeling emotional after today’s episode introduced Craig Jackson and his wife Lois, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, who revealed the lengths they would go to in order to help their daughter Edie.

Edie was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DIPG) on November 27, 2019, following a check-up at the opticians. 

The nature of the high grade tumour means surgery to remove it is not an option as it would likely cause severe neurological damage, or worse, prove fatal, while chemotherapy has also failed to help so far.

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This Morning viewers were left feeling emotional after today’s episode introduced Craig Jackson and his wife Lois, from Waltham Abbey, Essex, who revealed the lengths they would go to in order to help their daughter Edie (pictured left, before her diagnosis, and right, after)

Edie was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (DIPG) on November 27, 2019, following a check-up at the opticians. Pictured, Craig and Lois Jackson

Possible treatments to help prolong Edie’s life include trials being developed in Seattle and a new drug being developed in New York, according to The Sun. 

It comes after Edie underwent chemotherapy in New York, which cost £245,000 and was paid for with donations. Unfortunately, her brain tumour continued to grown following the treatment.

Now, to pay for further expensive options, the parents-of-two admitted they might sell their home, when appearing on This Morning today.  

The nature of the high grade tumour means surgery to remove it is not an option as it would likely cause severe neurological damage, or worse, prove fatal, while chemotherapy has also failed to help so far. Pictured, Edie

Possible treatments to help prolong Edie’s life include trials being developed in Seattle and a new drug being developed in New York. Pictured, Edie

Chatting to hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford, Craig said: ‘It’s really difficult to watch the most precious thing in your life go through this.

What is a DIPG?

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma or ‘DIPG’ has recently been renamed ‘Diffuse Midline Glioma’ and is the second most common type of primary, high grade brain tumour in children.

High grade brain tumours tend to grow quickly and are more likely to spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord. 

DIPGs originate in an area of the brain, and more specifically the brainstem, called the pons.

The pons is an area deep within the lower part of the brain which is responsible for a number of critical bodily functions, such as breathing, sleeping and blood pressure.

The cause of brain tumours, including DIPG, is not yet known.

A child with a DIPG may display certain symptoms including:

• Abnormal alignment of the eyes or/and double vision (diplopia)
• Weakness of facial muscles or facial asymmetry (one side of the face appearing different from the other) 
• Unstable balance and co-ordination
• Difficulties walking and speaking 

Source: The Brain Tumour Charity

‘We’re going to keep putting one foot in front of the other and move forward with it. If we’re forced to go abroad then that’s what we’ll do. 

‘If we have to sell the house, we have to sell the house,’ he added, while sitting alongside his wife at their home in Essex. 

Edie’s parents, who also have a ten-year-old son, have launched a fundraising page for their daughter’s treatment.

Viewers were left devastated by the moving story, with one writing: ‘Poor Edie, this puts everything into perspective.’

Another tweeted: ‘This is awful, poor little girl, how tragic #ThisMorning’, while a third wrote: ‘I feel for the little girl and her family.’ 

Craig previously told FEMAIL how they booked Edie an appointment at the opticians when she began experiencing double vision and her left eye started to turn inwards, causing her to develop a squint. 

From there the optician referred the family to their GP and sent a letter requesting for Edie to be seen urgently by a specialist. 

‘We immediately felt very nervous seeing the word “urgent” on the optician’s referral letter, so we booked a private appointment at Moorfields Eye Hospital on November 25th 2019,’ Craig recalled. 

‘From there we were sent the same day to Harlow Princess Alexandra Hospital for an MRI, the results of which were sent to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Within a few hours we were told Edie had a brain tumour. 

‘Once the scans had been reviewed we were moved to GOSH and the worst possible news was confirmed.

‘Not only did Edie have a brain tumour, it was an aggressive one called Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) in a part of the brain stem called the pons. 

Chatting to hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford (pictured left), Craig (pictured right with his wife) said: ‘It’s really difficult to watch the most precious thing in your life go through this’

Reaction: Viewers were left devastated by the moving story, with one writing: ‘Poor Edie, this puts everything into perspective’

‘The pons controls essential bodily functions such as heartbeat, breathing, swallowing, eye movement, eyesight, and balance.’ 

As the pons is located in the centre of the brain, a surgeon could not get to the tumour without damaging the surrounding portions of the brain. Even if the tumour could be accessed, total removal would be impossible. 

Craig previously added that their daughter is being an ‘absolute star’ and staying very brave and strong throughout her ordeal.   

Craig previously added that their daughter (pictured) is being an ‘absolute star’ and staying very brave and strong throughout her ordeal

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