The location of the tumor in the Pons affects motor functions. Zachary found a way to express himself through art, mostly painting. He felt a sense of pride in each completed project. Art is all about the individual and his/her creative expression. Art does not judge or discriminate. Children can use all forms of art to express the dreams they still hold onto during their time of illness.

Disney’s 2013 hit movie “Saving Mr. Banks” depicted the untold back-story of how the classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the big screen. Zachary saw this movie in January 2014 during a rough time in his treatment. The song “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” was sung during an uplifting scene and the music inspired Zachary to sing this song with great enthusiasm. We felt such joy as we listened to him belt out the lyrics in such a spirited way. This song became special to many people who knew him and it was sung during the 2014 Spring Concert at his middle school.

DIPG primarily affects children, with most diagnoses occurring between 5 and 7 years of age, and accounts for 10-15% of all brain tumors in children. There are about 100-150 new diagnoses each year in the United States and about 300 in all of North America and Europe. Unlike many other pediatric cancers, little progress has been made toward improving treatments and cure rates over the last few decades. Unfortunately, fewer than 10% of children diagnosed with DIPG survive two years from diagnosis. We have to change this and help those dealing with DIPG.