THE MOTHER of a seven-year-old lost to a brain tumour last year is “touched” that his classmates are remembering him a year on and raising funds to find a cure for the devastating disease.

Aaron Wharton, from Buckley, was just four in April 2020 when he was diagnosed with a grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma. He underwent four brain surgeries and endured gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but despite all the treatment, his brain tumour grew back and spread. His parents, Nicola and Lee were told that he’d run out of treatment options and to go home and make memories.

Since losing her only child, Nicola has set up Aaron’s Army, a Fundraising Group under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research to help bring hope to people affected by brain tumours.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month which culminates in the charity’s flagship fundraiser, Wear A Hat Day, to be held this year on Thursday, March 28.

The event, which asks people to don their favourite hats, hold hat-themed events and make donations to help find a cure for brain tumours, has raised more than £2 million since being launched in 2010.

Poignantly, Wear A Hat Day last year was Aaron’s last day in school at Southdown Primary in Buckley when he proudly wore the top hat he had made together with his mum specially for the occasion.

His parents then took Aaron on his favourite trip to a caravan in Porthmadog where he loved playing in the arcades, but, concerned for his failing health, they quickly took him to hospital.

With his condition deteriorating rapidly over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, including noticeable weakness down his left side and poor hand-eye coordination, Aaron was admitted into the care of Ty Gobaith, a children’s hospice in Conwy. On Easter Sunday, (which fell last year on 9 April) and three years to the day since he was diagnosed, Aaron passed away.

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Nicola said: “Nothing prepares you for losing your child. He was robbed of his life and from being with us. It’s unbelievable that with all the advancements in so many other cancers there is so little available for those diagnosed with brain tumours and especially children. Aaron was so full of life but was lost to the cruellest of diseases.”

On the last day of term, Southdown Primary will be taking part in Wear A Hat Day to remember Aaron and, as well as encouraging pupils to wear a hat and make a donation to Aaron’s Army for Brain Tumour Research, the school will be unveiling a plaque dedicated to Aaron on a special bench.

Nicola, a business analyst for a travel company, is also encouraging her work colleagues to wear a hat and make a donation.

She said: “I’ll be posting pictures of Aaron in his home-made top hat taken on Wear A Hat Day last year – I can’t believe this was just 10 days before we lost him – as well as a photo of Aaron wearing his favourite Wrexham FC hat – he was so proud to be Wrexham’s mascot at a match in October 2022.

“I hope Aaron’s story will encourage others to join in with the fun of Wear A Hat Day for a serious cause. Anyone can take part, be it with friends or family, at home, work or in school. For those who are unable to host a hat-themed event, we just ask that they put on a hat, share a photo on social media using the hashtag #WearAHatDay and make a donation to help find a cure for brain tumours.”

The Leader: Aaron with dad Lee and mum Nicola. Aaron with dad Lee and mum Nicola. (Image: Family photo)

Louise Aubrey, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Aaron’s family for setting up Aaron’s Army and for all the support for Wear A Hat Day in Aaron’s memory.

“With just 12 er cent of brain tumour patients surviving more than five years, compared to an average of 54 per cent across all cancers, the charity is focused on funding research to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure for all types of brain tumour.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.