The family of a five-year-old girl who died of an inoperable brain tumour are continuing to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, primarily by playing golf. Sophie Welburn died from a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) in March 2022, just eight months after she was diagnosed.
Her nanas Sam and Julie Cairns-Wade, as well as other family and friends are putting on a special tournament at Darlington Golf Club in Sophie’s honour in aid of Brain Tumour Research, and as part of Wear A Hat Day. This comes after Sam has already completed a virtual 843 mile walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End while playing rounds of golf last year.
"Sophie was such a bundle of fun, so to be told she wouldn’t last nine months was absolutely devastating for the whole family. Her brain tumour diagnosis felt so unfair, and we felt there must be something that could have been done for her", said Sam.
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Sophie’s family, from Darlington, were originally concerned in June of 2021 when Sophie started having problems with her coordination and was regularly falling over. When her condition didn’t improve, she went to hospital.
An MRI scan then revealed the tumour which was inoperable and Sophie was given just 9 to 12 months to live. She underwent six weeks of radiotherapy but two weeks after the treatment finished, during a weekend away in London with her parents, the fatigue hit Sophie.
Despite her illness, Sophie started infant school in September 2021 and continued to attend until the following March, even though her condition had started deteriorating at the start of the year. She died peacefully in March with her family by her side.
On Sunday 16 April, Sophie’s family and over a hundred golfers will be a part of the inaugural Sophie’s Salver competition at The Darlington Golf Club. Sam went on to talk about the disease itself and gave some more detail on the event.
"We hear all about different types of cancer, but brain tumours are so hidden. The statistics are shocking. They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
"The Sophie’s Salver tournament is going to be an annual event, hosted at The Darlington Golf Club and it’s a great way to honour our Sophie.”
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