Ten-year-old Eva dies after year-long battle with aggressive brain tumour

Brain Tumour Research

1 min read

11 January 2021

We are deeply saddened to share the news that our young supporter Eva Williams has died after a 12-month battle with an inoperable brain tumour.

Brave Eva, from Wrexham in North Wales, died on 8 January, just over a year after she was diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

Her devastated parents Carran Williams and Paul Slapa shared the heart-breaking news on Eva’s fundraising page ‘ Unbeatable Eva’ on 9 January. The family was crowdfunding to help pay for a clinical trial overseas, which they hoped would have a positive effect on her tumour. Devastatingly, efforts to join those medical trials were thwarted by COVID-19.

Updating their supporters on Twitter, Paul wrote: “Yesterday morning at 9am, the bravest person we know, our daughter Eva, finally rested. 12 months and 8 days of fighting - far stronger than anyone I know. I can’t begin to see how we can ever move forwards. You are always with us, in our hearts and minds, and we love you.”

Hugh Adams, Head of Stakeholder Relations at Brain Tumour Research said: “Our heartfelt condolences go to Paul, Carran and Eva’s brothers Ethan and Finn, whose world has been shattered by this devastating disease. No family should have to experience the pain they are going through and we are so sorry for their loss.

“It is unbearable to think that, here in the UK, one child every fortnight is diagnosed with DIPG.

“Funding for research into brain tumours needs to be increased to £35 million a year in order to prevent more families from going through this utter nightmare. We owe it to Eva, to her family and to everyone for whom DIPG becomes a devastating reality.”