By NATALIE KOTSIOS
BALLERINAS and super heroes, rock stars and nurses – the children of Thomas Mitchell Primary School made all their dreams come true last week when they took part in a free dress day with a difference.
Last Tuesday was the Endeavour Hills school’s first Dream Day, on which children dressed as what they want to be when they grow up.
It was held in honour of the children’s former classmate Isabella De Rose, who died of an extremely rare brain tumour when she was just six years old.
After Isabella’s death in 2008, her parents Khush Harris and Robert De Rose created a charity to fund research into the tumour, called diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, after meeting the parents of another young boy who suffered the same fate.
The Isabella and Marcus Fund is seeking to build a permanent research laboratory in a cancer centre due to be built in Melbourne by 2015.
Mrs Harris says the tumour is “very vicious” and usually attacks primary school-aged children. It takes one motor function away after another rapidly – in Isabella’s case, she was diagnosed in February 2008 and could not walk by April. She died in August the same year.
“Having just six years with your child, you cling onto many memories,” Mrs Harris said. “She was the princess of the family, very precious.”
Mrs Harris still works as an integration aide at Thomas Mitchell, where Isabella would now have been in grade 5. It’s the third time the school has hosted a free dress day to raise money for the fund, but the first time it’s been run as a Dream Day.
“It would have been right up [Isabella’s] alley,” Mrs Harris said. “It was so inspirational and amazing the spirit the children had. How good is it that the kids can be involved in funding their own welfare.”
The children raised more than $1600 towards the fund.
To donate or for more information, go to isabellaandmarcusfund.org.au.
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