CCS supports the Ride for Em

Ride organiser, Heather So, is a parent at Illawarra Christian School. She explains below a little behind the history of the ride.

"Our brave, quirky, gentle, and funny Emily So passed away aged 5 on 24 May 2022, just seven months after being diagnosed with an aggressive and incurable brain tumour called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). After this terrible loss, the So family moved to Wollongong in 2023, and Emily’s older sisters Caitlin and Annabelle now attend Illawarra Christian School.

Around 20 children are diagnosed with DIPG in Australia every year, with most given just nine to 12 months to live. Despite DIPG being such a deadly and aggressive tumour, treatment options for children haven’t changed in more than half a century (since before man walked on the moon). The only established treatment is radiotherapy, which can only extend life by a matter of months. The prognosis is so bleak, parents are simply told to 'go make memories'.

This tragic outcome for families and children, like Emily, won’t change unless there is a medical breakthrough. That’s why we’re getting behind a new Australian clinical trial by leading Professor David Ziegler from the Children’s Cancer Institute. The trial is showing real promise using CAR-T cell therapy, which involves modifying a child’s own immune cells in a laboratory to (hopefully) teach them to fight the tumour. But this type of cutting-edge research relies heavily on the fundraising efforts of families, friends, and the community.

The Ride for Em is one way we can honour Emily’s life, and raise money for this vital clinical research. Our hope is that one day, curative treatments for DIPG will finally become available so that other families don’t have to endure what ours did. DIPG is often called the "Mt Everest of cancers" but it’s our hope that we will one day overcome the mountain and make a real difference to other children and their families. Last year, the inaugural Ride for Em raised almost $50,000. This year, we’re aiming to double that figure and reach $100,000."

 Calderwood Christian School is pleased to support the Ride for Em and encourages interested families to donate to the cause at the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia or by using the QR code below.