After Hannah passed away in 2005 from Wilms Tumour, Wendy and Simon launched their charity, dedicated to providing real hair wigs for children and young people. Having seen the hugely positive impact a suitable wig had on Hannah, they wanted to provide this spark of joy for other patients. The charity has grown significantly since then – both in the number of wigs they can create and the scope of their work. They now provide nearly 2,000 bespoke wigs per year, and have become a major funder of pioneering paediatric cancer research in the UK.
Advancing ICR research
The Little Princess Trust is dedicated to identifying innovative and impactful ways to improve survival and reduce the effects of treatment. To achieve their mission, they have generously invested in multiple research projects here at the ICR, including:
- Enabling Professor Janet Shipley to better understand high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma through the development of 3D models derived from patient cells
- Supporting Dr Alejandra Bruna in the development of novel combined precision treatment strategies for treatment-resistant and relapsed medulloblastoma
- Assisting Dr Paul Huang in his work to optimise therapies in newly diagnosed metastatic Ewing Sarcoma patients
Dr Alejandra Bruna, who leads the ICR’s Preclinical Modelling of Paediatric Cancer Evolution team, says: “Thank you Little Princess Trust for your willingness to understand what we need to translate scientific discoveries into clinical benefits. Your warm support means the world to us!”