Little Ian has a blast and says thank you

Little Ian Neethling (two years old) was diagnosed in September of 2018 with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) after a biopsy that was done confirmed the diagnosis.

He was given only three to six months to live, but fought with all his heart against the cancer and is still with us today.

A diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma is a tumour located in the pons (middle) of the brain stem.

Glioma is a general name for any tumour that arises from the supportive tissue called glia, which help keep the neurons in place and functioning well.

DIPG is a brainstem glioma.

The brain stem is the bottommost portion of the brain, connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord.

The majority of brain stem tumours occur in the pons and are diffusely infiltrating (they grow amidst the nerves), and therefore cannot be surgically removed.

The brain stem contains all of the incoming neurons within the spinal cord, as well as important structures involved in eye movements and in face and throat muscle control and sensation.

Surgery to attempt tumour removal is usually not possible or advisable for DIPG.

By nature, these tumours invade diffusely throughout the brain stem, growing between normal nerve cells.

Aggressive surgery would cause severe damage to neural structures vital for arm and leg movement, eye movement, swallowing, breathing, and even consciousness.

DIPG has a five year survival rate of less than one percent.

The median overall survival of children diagnosed with DIPG is approximately nine months.

The one- and two-year survival rates are approximately 30% and less than 10%, respectively.

These statistics make DIPG one of the most devastating pediatric cancers.

Over the weekend of September 27, eMalahleni drew together to help little Ian fight this terrible cancer by attending his fundraiser that was held at Steve’s Place.

“I just want to say a big big thank you to each and every person that made a donation this weekend to little Ian, we raised R6 120 in total just from donations from members of the community and selling of cupcakes donated from Cake Delights,” Donna Neethling, Ian’s aunt, stated, “we want to give a big thanks to The Boat and Caravan Club for opening their hearts and doing this for Ian, without you this weekend would not have been possible, also a big thank you to the Wolvekrans Boat Club Committee and TPS Auto Electrical for your donation to Ian.”

Ian spent the day greeting his fans and watching speed boat racing.

“Little Ian was taken around and went to meet the people that donated and say thank you. He loved meeting all the new people and made lots of new friends. A lot of people have asked if he has a Facebook page to follow him and he does. If you look for Ian Neethling on Facebook, we are happy for anyone to follow his story,” Donna recounted, “He also got to see all the boats racing and he loved the sound and kept calling the boats ‘cars.’ Vroom vroom!”

However, Little Ian still needs a lot of help.

“Ian will also be going back into theatre on October 1 to have all of his teeth removed as they have all gotten infected from the medication he has been on, and because of the donations we are able to pay the shortfall, so all has been arranged and approved,” Donna said, “we will still keep raising money as his costs for all of his medical care are still ongoing and he has been put on special formula that costs close to R6 000 per month.”

Anyone interested in donating can contact Donna at chrisdonneethling@gmail.com or 084 264 8292.

Those who would like to make a donation to the non-profit organization (NPO) set up in order to help cover Ian’s costs, can make payment to:
Account: OUR BUDDY IAN NPC
Bank: First National Bank (FNB)
Account number: 62793298962
Branch code: 210554