Lily take S challenge in memory of cousin

LILY French is an active 11-year-old in Year 6 at Wedderburn College and trying her hand at cricket for the first time.

Her cousin Jaxon Cooper was the same age when he died of DIPG brain cancer in 2015.

A rare and highly aggressive cancer, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, is a type of brain tumour in the brainstem known as the pons.

Lily is joining Jaxon’s father Rob and his siblings Logan and Grace in the Peace of Mind Challenge this month raising money to employ more brain cancer support workers in Victoria.

Team Jaxon has already exceeded its first target of $1000 with Lily selling raffle tickets to friends around the Loddon after securing prizes from businesses in Wedderburn, Inglewood and Charlton.

Lily says she was inspired to be part of Team Jaxon to remember her cousin and help children with brain cancer attend retreats.

The Peace of Mind Challenge has teams setting their fundraising targets and taking part in an amazing race event in Geelong this month where teams solve clues and complete fun challenges.

First held last year, the challenge raised $40,000 which was put towards patient and family brain cancer retreats across Australia. This year, the aim is $150,000.

Peace of Mind Foundation says brain cancer kills more Australians aged under 40 than any other cancer but survival rates are unchanged in the past 30 years. More than 1500 Australians died of brain cancer last year. The average survival time of DIPG cancer patients is between nine and 18 months from diagnosis.

Australia’s first trial of a treatment for DIPG started at Sydney’s Westmead Children’s Hospital last year.

Lily said 14 teams had already