Trust aims to fulfil Maddison's wishes

THE family of a former Sleaford schoolgirl who died from a rare brain tumour have set up a trust to try and raise awareness and money for cancer research.

William Alvey School pupil Maddison Bignall died from a Ganglioglioma tumour, a rare, nonmalignant tumour that contains abnormal neurons and supportive cells, at the age of 10.

As a result her family including her mother Jane, father Matthew and brother Kon-ick set up a trust on her behalf.

Maddison was diagnosed as suffering from a slow-growing brain-stem Ganglioglioma brain tumour in April 2007.

An operation on her brain stem was deemed too risky so she underwent a six week course of radiotherapy during the summer of 2007, followed by a new drug regime which she started in October 2007.

It was hoped the radiotherapy and the new drugs would shrink or at least slow the growth of the tumour. However, Maddison was admitted to hospital in October due to weight loss, other effects from the tumour and a chest infection and died on October 27, 2007.

Kon-ick said: "Maddison was a loving and caring girl and throughout her illness she never complained and was always cheerful."

"The Maddison Bignall Trust has been created in memory of Maddison as she touched the hearts of many people in her 10 years with us. The trust is to ensure that we can continue to carry forward her wishes."

Since the trust was set up on what would have been her 11th birthday in January last year, about £3,000 has been raised for the Cancer Research Trust and The Brain Tumour Research Unit at Nottingham's QMC Hospital.

The Trust is Charity of the year 2008 for the William Alvey School in Sleaford. For more details, visit www.maddisonbignalltrust.co.uk