Gelorup family fighting a rare brain tumour

The Robinson family have been told eight-year-old Heidi has a rare malignant tumour at the base of her brain.

Doctors believe it to be a tumour called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma but are not able to biopsy it due to its placement. 

There is currently no known cure for the condition. 

Heidi’s aunt Tia Robinson told the Mail, the family have been left shocked by the diagnosis. 

“It certainly came as a shock to us and while it’s still hard to believe, everyone is trying to cope with it the best they can,” she said. 

Heidi and her family are currently staying at Ronald McDonald House in Perth and created a special memory last weekend. 

The family were surprised with a chevrolet limousine ride to Domain Stadium to see the West Coast Eagles defeat North Melbourne, organised by companies and friends in the South West. 

After the game Heidi and her brother Seth were given the opportunity to meet Heidi’s hero Nic Naitanui. 

There was also a visit to Perth Zoo in between bouts of radiation treatment to keep Heidi’s spirits up. 

Mrs Robinson has banded together with another of Heidi’s aunts Lisa Sampey to start a fundraising campaign to pay for Heidi’s ongoing medical bills. 

“We are raising money to help support our brother and his family,” Mrs Sampey wrote on the online fundraising page. 

“We hope to raise enough money for our brother to spend all these precious moments with his daughter without financial burden and to make some great memories for them to hold on to.”

The pair are also busy researching trials taking place around the world to see if there is anything available that will benefit Heidi. 

“There has been very little advancement over the last 50 years in the treatment of this rare tumour and if we can help Heidi or improve knowledge and treatment of this condition, it would be valuable not only to us but to the rest of the world,” Mrs Sampey wrote.  

To help Heidi and her family with a financial donation visit gofundme.com/helpourheidi.