Woodford Green father Scott Lau makes last-minute 'desperate' plea for signatures that could save his six-year-old daughter's life

Scott Lau and his wife Yang’s lives were turned upside down when their daughter Kaleigh was diagnosed with a rare aggressive brain tumour called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) in April.

DIPG currently has no cure and only 30 per cent of children live more than a year after diagnosis.

But despite the devastating news, her treatment, and busy work schedules, the Woodford Green family have worked tirelessly to try to get the Government to fund more research into childhood cancers like DIPG in hope of finding a cure.

The 40-year-old father of two started a Parliamentary petition for more DIPG funding in June.

But despite collecting over 26,000 signatures, he is “way short” of the 100,000 needed to get it debated by MPs.

He said: “Less than 40 children are diagnosed with DIPG every year in the UK.

“We are such a small community, which is why we desperately need people’s help.

“This illness gives your child a typical life expectancy of nine months.

“Those children usually get so many symptoms during those nine months that their families do not have the time or energy to do what we’re doing.

“We’re doing this for all those families, not just for us, so we can find a cure for DIPG.”

Mr Lau is also running a social media campaign getting celebrities, including Mo Farah and JK Rowling, to pose with their “Kaleigh bears” to promote the petition.

But with Kaleigh seven months into her nine-month prognosis and four days until time is up on the parliamentary petition, he is urgently asking Guardian readers for more signatures.

He said: “The only way to make any kind of change is to sign this petition and get funding to find a potential cure.

“Words cannot describe how amazing Kaleigh is, but she is not a celebrity, she is an ill child.

“Don’t just share the story, sign the petition, and get everyone you know to do it as well.”

The Lau family’s MP Wes Streeting spoke at another Parliamentary debate on childhood cancers yesterday (November 28), echoing their plea for signatures.

He said: “The number of children with DIPG may be very small but the impact on their families is unimaginable.

“More must be done to get money spent on research, as brain tumour research only accounts for a small portion of current spending by the Medical Research Council.

“I would urge people to please show their support for Kaleigh and her family by signing their petition online.”

To sign the petition, please click here.