Little Annabelle Pott’s paralysed cheeks struggle to give us a smile.
The five year-old Canberra girl is battling DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma),
a brain cancer that targets only kids, is fatal and has an average survival time of around nine months.
That’s exactly how long Kathie and Adam Potts were told that they had with Annabelle two years ago. Since that jarring moment, the pair have moved heaven and earth to buy time and move closer to a DIPG cure.
After they weren’t getting the support they needed in Australia, the family flew to Mexico to trial experimental chemotherapy.
It didn’t come cheap.
After 10 rounds at about $ 30,000 per go, Annabelle’s tumour had shrunk to the point it could no longer be detected in March 2018.
The family sadly found out the tumour has come back, only recently.
Now as their journey enters its final chapter, the one thing that lights up her eyes is when someone shoves a quarter lemon into their gob and attempts a sour smile so you can see the rind.
It is a trend she saw going viral in the states, created by Aubreigh Nicholas, 10, who was diagnosed with DIPG in September 2017.
As they say when life gives you lemons … But Annabelle is making more than lemonade. She’s making noise.
The Potts family loved that The Wiggles granted their request and took up the #lemonfacechallenge on Sunday, followed then by NRL side West Tigers.
Which led to Channel 9’s Today show ringing the family to say they’d be broadcasting the weather live from the lawns of Parliament House, in conjunction with Canberra’s MIX 106.3 to help rally support and send a message to our leaders that more funding is desperately needed.
From Super Rugby Brumbies stars to Canberra Capital Basketball elite. From running groups to school groups to families swinging by on their morning school run. Canberrans from all walks of life turned up to the lawns to take part in the #lemonfacechallenge.
The sole senator to pop down and see the Potts family and do the challenge was South Australia’s Cory Bernardi.
“I’ve done all I can now,” said Kathie Potts. “I’ve rallied at the lawns of Parliament House but awareness equals funding which equals treatment.”
The hashtags you need to raise awareness are: #lemonfacechallenge #loveforannabelle #dipgawareness
To donate to The Isabella and Marcus Foundation, go to https://donorbox.org/the-isabella-and-marcus-foundation
Kristen Henry is one half of the Kristen and Nige show on MIX 106.3 Canberra. Follow her adventures at channelk.com.au.