A BUCKLEY mum who lost her only child to a brain tumour, aged seven, is asking people to “wear it purple for Aaron” on what would have been his ninth birthday and make a donation to help find a cure.

Nicola and Lee Wharton’s son Aaron would have turned nine this Thursday (November 28), but he passed away from an aggressive ependymoma brain tumour in April 2023 after being diagnosed as a four-year-old.

Southdown School in Buckley, where Aaron was a pupil, is supporting the Wear it Purple initiative in his memory and helping to raise funds for Aaron’s Army, the Fundraising Group set up by his family under the umbrella of the charity Brain Tumour Research to help find a cure.

And it’s not the first time Southdown School has honoured the memory of the youngster described as being “so full of life” and whose last day at school was just 10 days before his death.

The school has taken part in the charity’s Wear A Hat Day to raise funds for research and also has dedicated a bench to Aaron.

(Image: Brain Tumour Research) 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 since records began in 2002.

It was after Aaron’s face drooped on the left side and he started being randomly sick that he was initially diagnosed with Bells’s Palsy, but his balance and coordination became increasingly affected and, after a series of MRI scans, a large growth was found at the back of Aaron’s head.

Despite multiple surgeries, proton beam therapy and chemotherapy, there were no more treatments available to save Aaron and he passed away on Easter Sunday last year.

Aaron WhartonAaron Wharton (Image: Brain Tumour Research) As well as his ninth birthday, Aaron’s family also is facing another Christmas without him, along with the memories of his last Christmas spent in Wrexham Maelor Hospital, fighting infections whilst on chemotherapy.

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​Nicola said: “The staff were nothing short of amazing, knowing that it would be Aaron’s last Christmas, and literally showered him with gifts and so much love. We wanted to give something back, so we have also started a campaign to request donations of gifts that we can send to the hospital for any children that end up on the children’s ward over Christmas.

“We’re grateful to Kays Hampers and Hawarden Rangers Under 8s for donating gifts and to beauty bar Hello Gorgeous in Connah’s Quay for being a drop-off point for donations. We also have an Amazon Gift list so that people can choose a gift.”

To help provide Christmas gifts for children at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, please visit https://bit.ly/4f1PuC5.

To donate to Aaron's Amy, please visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/aarons-army.

Louise Aubrey, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are thinking of Aaron’s family especially as they mark his ninth birthday without him.

"We’re really grateful to Nicola, Southdown School and all who support Aaron’s Army for their incredible fundraising efforts which now total around £55,000, helping to make a difference for patients diagnosed with brain tumours.

“With just under 13 per cent of patients diagnosed with a brain tumour surviving beyond five years, compared with an average of 54% across all cancers, Brain Tumour Research 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.