Community rallies around little Ariella

THE North Durban community has rallied their support around little Ariella Cocozoris who was recently diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and highly aggressive brain tumor found in the brain stem.

While a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help Ariella’s family, several organisations and clubs are organising their own fundraisers to show support for her family and raise funds to treat her condition.

According to her BackaBuddy page, there is currently no known cure, and most children only survive for approximately nine months after diagnosis, and only 10 per cent survive for longer than two years.

The symptoms of DIPG develop rapidly, these include; problems controlling eye movements, speech, swallowing, walking and coordination.

https://www.facebook.com/FortheLoveofAriella/videos/344291392993885/

Close family friend, and Mount Edgecombe resident, Dimitra Nicolau, said she has been trying to spread the word to help support Ariella.

“Ariella is the bravest little girl and her family have been through so much since her diagnosis. She was diagnosed a day after her fifth birthday and the family went from a wonderful occasion of celebration to devastating news. There has been an incredible outpouring of support from the community and especially from her school, Tree Tops School,” Nicolau said.

A Facebook page called ‘For the Love of Ariella‘ has been set-up where all the events and updates on Ariella’s condition is posted.
Already a number of fundraisers have been organised in Johannesburg, the south coast and Ballito.

“Her treatments have been going really well but her parents need all the support they can get,” Nicolau explained.
All fund raised will be used to help fund Ariella’s treatment and raise awareness in the hopes of finding a cure.

So far, R200 000 has been raised through the BackABuddy page. 

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