WATCH: Brave Fyvie youngster Aurora Farren launches Cancer Research UK's Race for Life
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Brave birthday girl Aurora Farren from Fyvie has been chosen to launch Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Scotland.
Aurora who turns nine on March 31 was in the high dependency unit at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital on her big day last year enduring her first round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Treatment also included six weeks of proton beam therapy at The Christie Hospital in Manchester.
For the launch a video has been produced which features Aurora and her family.
She was fitted with a made-to-measure mask to ensure the correct part of her head was targeted during the radiotherapy.
To give her superhero powers, Aurora chose to paint the Marvel character Venom onto the mask which she wore for each session.
And what a difference a year makes. Now after treatment, which also included four rounds of chemotherapy, each lasting five days and four blood transfusions, Aurora is back at school and has been invited to sound the horn at the start line at Race for Life Aberdeen at Beach Esplanade on June 30.
She will be joined by her proud parents Jenna (34) and David Farren (41) and her sister Ada (6).
The family know exactly how vital it is to raise funds for life-saving research. Money raised will help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancers – moving closer to a world where everyone can live longer, better lives.
Jenna said: “Words can’t express how much we love Aurora and how grateful we are to still have her with us.
“Aurora has been nothing short of amazing through everything. She hasn’t complained or made a fuss. She has just powered through.
"Even on the hardest of days I was in absolute awe of how she coped with everything life handed her in the past year.
"From being told she had cancer to spending her birthday in the high dependency unit to losing her beautiful red hair and spending weeks upon weeks far away from home, Aurora has been a shining star.
"Why do I race for life? I’ll be proud to cross the finish line at Race for Life for Aurora this year.”
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, is an inspiring series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.
Every year around 34,600 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.
Race for Life events, which take place across the country, are open to all ages and abilities.
The first Race for Life events of the year kick off in Stirling and South Queensferry on Sunday, May 5, closely followed this spring with events everywhere from Edinburgh to Dundee, Falkirk to Fife, Inverness to Irvine.
Mums, dads, sons, daughters, grandparents and friends can choose from a 5k or 10k at Race for Life Aberdeen at the Beach Esplanade.
Aurora’s parents vividly recall how tough it was on March 1, 2023, when Aurora was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumour.
Doctors explained that pituitary gland tumours are brain tumours that start to grow in the pituitary gland.
Concerns about Aurora’s health had started years earlier when Aurora developed an unquenchable thirst, was passing urine more often than normal and had stopped growing.
Aurora was referred to hospital in the spring of 2022 where tests showed she had a rare condition known as diabetes insipidus.
The condition can be caused by problems in the body with a chemical called vasopressin which helps regulate the amount of fluid in the body.
Diabetes insipidus can also be caused by damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary gland – for example, after an infection, head injury or brain tumour.
Aurora’s paediatric consultant Dr Craig Oxley recommended that Aurora was monitored closely.
They discovered that with each scan Aurora’s pituitary stalk was getting bigger. Lumbar puncture tests then showed that Aurora had cancer.
Jenna added: “It was just absolutely devastating.
“The cells they’d found were a mix of aggressive and less aggressive cells. It was hard to explain to Aurora that the medicine she needed to treat the cancer would make her beautiful hair fall out.”
Jenna praised Aurora’s oncologist, Dr Fiona Herd, and paediatric consultant Dr Craig Oxley – who are both based in Aberdeen.
She said: “They were the best people to have on our side and we will always be grateful to them.
“During the night when Aurora was in for her first round of chemotherapy it was really quite difficult at times.
"Dr Oxley would phone every couple of hours to check up on her. Even when he wasn’t on call, he’d check to make sure she was okay. Aurora really trusted him.
“Aurora helped get us through it. Even on her eighth birthday she just lay on the hospital bed and put up with it. There was no fuss.
"Aurora’s sister Ada was great too. Ada didn’t complain even though I was away from home in hospital with Aurora for long periods of time.”
The family travelled to Manchester where on June 25 last year, Aurora started proton beam therapy at The Christie, home to the first high energy proton beam therapy centre in the UK.
Proton beam therapy is a type of radiotherapy that can reduce side effects for patients by reducing damage to sensitive organs.
Unlike the x-rays used in conventional radiotherapy, protons stop at the tumour. This potentially gives a more targeted treatment and reduces the damage to surrounding tissues.
Jenna said: “Nothing prepares you for seeing the proton beam therapy machine.
“It’s like something from a sci-fi movie. Aurora wore the mesh mask she’d painted and had to lie completely still for 20 minutes during each of the 30 rounds of treatment. Once again, Aurora took it all in her stride.”
Aurora went into the treatment each day with her own playlist of songs to listen to during the sessions. Her favourite music to listen to was by the indie rock band Nothing But Thieves.
In August before returning home to Scotland, Aurora was cheered by doctors and nurses as she rang the bell at the hospital in Manchester to mark the end of treatment.
Weeks later at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Aurora also took part in a bell ringing ceremony.
Aurora is now clear of cancer but continues to have nightly injections to help her grow as her pituitary gland does not produce hormones naturally.
She’s back enjoying school in P4 at Fyvie Primary School, loves LEGO and swimming.
Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “We are grateful to Aurora and all their family for their support and know their story will make an impact on everyone who hears it.
“No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime.
"Race for Life has the power not only to transform lives, but to save them. We’re proud that Race for Life has already helped double survival rates in the UK.
“We’d love for as many people as possible across Scotland to join us at Race for Life. There is an event for everyone and we mean everyone.
"Walk, jog, run or take on the course however it suits best. It’s a chance to feel the power of moving together with fellow Race for Lifers and to treasure that moment of crossing the finish line.
“Whether people are living with cancer, are taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with the disease, or are in it for the medals or just for the fun of fundraising, there is a place for everyone.”
Since it began in 1994, more than 10 million people have taken part in Race for Life, funding 30 years of hope and progress.
The UK’s biggest fundraising event series, which raised £33 million in 2023, is returning with a shift in attitude this year, determined to shine light on the life-saving research that Race for Life has funded and issuing a rallying cry for people to sign up to support the scientific breakthroughs of tomorrow.
Money raised has helped develop radiotherapy which benefits more than 130,000 people with cancer in the UK every year.
Cancer Research UK funded scientists led the development of the Human Papillomavirus Virus vaccine, which is expected to prevent almost 90 per cent of cervical cancers in the UK.
The charity also funded many large clinical trials looking at the effectiveness of the drug tamoxifen and the research shaped the way the drug is used to treat breast cancer today.
Andy Curran, chief executive of Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, said: “We are incredibly proud to continue as headline sponsor for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, with the opportunity to encourage participation across the country.
“By working to raise funds for life-saving research, we can move towards a future where people live longer and healthier lives, free of cancer.”
Visit raceforlife.org to enter an event.
