ONLY months after the loss of her son, Willagee mother Sharvita de Beaux will tie up her shoelaces to help raise money into the rare cancer that took him.
Six year old Max passed away in March from the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, which forms in the nerve cells along the spinal cord.
Max was diagnosed when he was at pre-primary at Winthrop Primary School and his treatment occurred alongside his schooling.
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READ NOWHe featured in the Melville Times last August to promote a local fundraising event for Neuroblastoma Australia, where a former teacher described him as a beautiful kid with a wonderful smile.
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Mrs de Beaux along with 11 of her friends is preparing to travel to Sydney to take part in the Run 2 Cure Neutorablastoma 2019 Fun Run on Sunday, June 2.
She said the family was doing “not great, but okay”.
“It was an awful and shocking thing to happen, I’m still a bit numb,” she said.
Mrs de Beaux said her fun run group called Team Max included friends and teachers from Winthrop Primary School.
“It feels very good to raise money and awareness for neuroblastoma,” she said.
“The run is only six days before Max’s birthday so it’s good to do something for him and raise some funds.
“Research for neuroblastoma hasn’t evolved as much as other cancers and these kids don’t deserve to die.”
They collected about $45,000 at the fundraising event at the Swan Yacht Club last October, with support from friends and the Winthrop school fraternity.
“We well and truly raised more money than we expected,” she said.
According to Neuroblastoma Australia, about 40 children are diagnosed with the cancer each year and there is an average survival rate of 40 per cent.
Visit https://raceroster.com/events/2019/17946/run2cure-neuroblastoma-2019/pledge/team/156878?p=1 to donate.