Six-year-old Ethan Desai is fighting for life against a rare, aggressive brain tumour and, with no cure available, his parents are pinning their hopes on a US clinical trial.
“We don’t have a day to waste,” said Ethan’s dad Pranav, who works in Geelong.
“This tumour is savage … we’re determined to fight and give Ethan every possible chance.”
During AFL Grand Final week last year, Pranav and wife Shivani noticed their sport-loving son was losing balance, slurring and unable to do simple activities.
Days later specialists diagnosed him with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive childhood brain tumour with a life expectancy of nine months after diagnosis.
“Our world was shattered after learning that our beautiful boy and big brother to Ahaan has a rare and aggressive brain tumour,” Pranav said.
“Ethan not only loves playing footy, tennis, cricket and basketball, he also values his time as we sit as a family and watch these together, whether … at home or at the stadium cheering our teams on.”
No treatments are available in Australia forcing the Desai family to travel to the US in hope of being accepted into a new $500,000 clinical trial.
“It’s breaking our hearts to see our little boy continually deteriorate at a rapid rate,” Pranav said.
“DIPG almost exclusively attacks our youngest and most vulnerable, who should have their whole lives ahead of them, and there is currently no cure.”
An online campaign has raised more than $96,000 towards the trial, travel and accommodation for the family, who lived in Geelong about five years before moving to Werribee.
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