Our Lady of Grace Catholic Primary School is hosting a fundraising evening on September 26 for eight-month-old Bede Darch, who is suffering from an inoperable brain tumour.
Bede was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in May, prompting the school and parish community to join forces to support the Darch family.
He has an older brother in Year 2 at the school, and the family belongs to Our Lady of Grace Parish in North Beach. Bede’s mum Isabella began a blog in May when there were too many people to keep updated with Bede’s progress.
“[The cancer] is on his optic nerve, his pituitary gland, and is pushing against the stem. The cancer has spread throughout his brain stem and spine,” she explained.
Neither the cancer in Bede’s brain nor the cancer in his brain stem and spine can be removed, leaving chemotherapy as the only option.
Earlier this year, some of the school’s mothers combined to provide meals for the family on a roster system, but they soon realised financial help was more urgently needed. Carolyn Halleen and several other mothers decided to organise a fundraising event to help the Darch family.
“The family is struggling financially,” Ms Halleen said. “They are spending all their time with Bede in hospital and they also have a son in Year 2 at Our Lady of Grace, so they’re supporting him too.”
“We decided the best way to help them was to fundraise some money for the family. The money from the fundraiser goes directly to the family, every cent that we make.”
The school event will include silent auctions, door prizes and raffles, in an attempt to raise funds for Bede’s mounting hospital bills.
Ms Halleen said the event organisers are hoping to raise between $5,000 and $10,000.
“I think [$5,000] would help them substantially for a little while, and just take the financial burden off them so they can concentrate on their sick son and also support their son that they have at home,” she said.
Ms Halleen said since being diagnosed with cancer, Bede has spent more of his life in hospital than he has at home.
“Bede was born in January, a healthy, beautiful baby, and at 10 weeks old he started to stop putting on weight and just stopped thriving,” she said.
“He’s had quite a few battles to fight, and he just meets it head-on every time, and with the support of his family and his community around him, he pulls through.”
Bede has already undergone several rounds of chemotherapy treatment; however, in August, the treatment ceased when he developed meningitis.
But, by last week, Bede appeared to have overcome the illness.
Ms Halleen said the school and parish community were eager to help the Darch family as much as possible.
“He’s a real fighter, little Bede, and whatever we can do to support his family we will do, so there’ll definitely be more fundraisers in the future to help them,” she said.
The event organisers have received several donated items that will be auctioned on the night, including framed and signed West Coast Eagles, Fremantle Dockers, and Western Force guernseys.
The donations also included a surfboard signed by WA’s Taj Burrow, as well as the major prize of a trip for two to Bali.
The Wishes for Bede fundraiser is on Thursday, September 26 at Our Lady of Grace Primary School, North Beach, from 7.30pm to 10.30pm. Tickets are $35 each, and the major raffle prize is a trip for two to Bali.