“Don’t worry, Mum and Dad, everything is going to be OK. This is a piece of cake,” Marcus used to beam, reassuring his parents as their stress, nerves and anxiety for their young son increased as the stages of his cancer treatment continued on and on.

Always bright and positive, Marcus was the family’s resident superhero, and despite the diagnosis of brain cancer at the age of four, his optimism and fight never wavered. Devastatingly, after five tough years of treatments, surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the superhero finally expanded his cape, and flew from this world in 2014.

In memory of their little hero, parents Marisa and Fabian established The Marcus Rosin Fund to help support the areas of the hospital that cared for Marcus and essential research that might help make a difference for children like him.

“The clinical trials that Marcus were on at the RCH were supported by the Children’s Cancer Foundation, together with the art therapists and music therapists who provide much needed support for all the families going through this horrific cancer journey. So, it is for this reason we have joined forces with the Children’s Cancer Foundation and started a special named fund in honour of our angel,” said parents Marisa and Fabian.

Founded by parents of children with cancer, the Children’s Cancer Foundation is committed to funding clinical research, clinical care and, crucially, family support programs, with the simple goal to add light to young lives; to let children shine, now and in the future.

Since their establishment in 1992, the Children’s Cancer Foundation have distributed more than $52 million in funding to support oncology patients and their families across Australia. They have provided funding for essential research positions at the RCH, as well as programs to improve patient experience and rehabilitation, including the support of Music and Art Therapists. Through their work, the Children’s Cancer Foundation also builds incredible relationships with the families they care for, including helping them to continue the legacy of the young lives lost.

“The Children’s Cancer Foundation has been happy to assist and partner with the Rosin family in honouring the life of their son Marcus. They were resolute in their desire to do something substantial in the area of children with brain cancer and they have achieved this,” said Jeff Darmanin, Director of the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

With the support and guidance of the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Marisa and Fabian rallied their community together to fundraise to support cancer care at the RCH. Through support from local businesses, family friends and the establishment of their annual “A Splash of Yellow for Marcus” ball, the family have raised nearly $300,000.

“After the Rosin family’s significant fundraising efforts through a Special Named Fund set up in 2015 with the Children’s Cancer Foundation, we worked with Marisa and Fabian to channel these funds into a new role at the RCH to coordinate clinical trials for all solid and brain tumour patients undergoing treatment at the Children’s Cancer Centre. This role aims to increase clinical trial enrolment of children with brain and other cancers, while ensuring timely and accurate treatments together with improved access to kinder drugs and therapies,” said Jeff.

This significant funding milestone will go a long way in helping patients like Marcus access new and novel clinical trials that can help identify new tumours, and support patients with personalised treatment plans.

“Funding for this position is critical to our ongoing work in personalised medicine and diagnostics. Through this position, we can ensure all eligible children have access to cutting edge diagnostics to understand their cancer and make the best treatment decisions we can for them,” said Dr. Hansford.