The 7-year-old’s parents didn’t think much of these subtle signs before a terrible cancer diagnosis

Claire Casbolt loves unicorns, mermaids, art and her friends.

She just turned seven and has planned her biggest party ever, complete with face painting, ponies and a bouncy castle.

Sadly, her seventh birthday will likely be her last.

In June, Claire’s mother, Meghan Tucker, noticed one of her bold and bubbly students was acting more clumsy than usual.

She was taken to the emergency department by a concerned physician.

A few hours later, Claire was diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancer.

That was just three months ago.

But doctors have warned her family that children with this type of cancer rarely live more than eight months after a diagnosis.

A little clumsier than usual

It started with a few crashes.

One was so bad that it ended up with a split lip.

But there was nothing physically different to suggest that Claire had a killer tumor inside her.

It wasn’t until she was eating differently at her grandparents’ house that her mother thought something might be wrong.

“Claire started to get a little clumsy and awkward in her walk,” says Melinda Chapman, a relative of Claire’s.

“She was at my house for dinner and she was chewing really bad.”

Claire’s mum mentioned that she had “failed a lot” and planned to ask a GP for a referral to check Claire’s hips – thinking the clumsiness could be related to the hip dysplasia she had as a baby.

The doctor sends Claire straight to the emergency room

At a checkup on her cut lip on Friday, June 21, Meghan told the doctor about the change in Claire’s walking and eating habits, which only happened in the last few days.

The doctor wasted no time, telling them to go straight to the emergency room at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Claire was taken for an MRI, with her mum and dad Mitchell by her side. The next day they got the results. A brain tumor was growing at the base of Claire’s skull.

The six-year-old was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma (formally known as DIPG), one of the most aggressive types of childhood brain cancer.

There is no cure. Due to her aggressive nature, she immediately started treatment.

Sudden decline in health

Claire’s deterioration has been brutally fast.

“She’s always been one of those spunky kids with a dry sense of humor – she’s not behind on coming forward,” Mrs Chapman recalls fondly.

Within days of the onset of her symptoms, craft-loving, energetic Claire weakened to a girl who struggled to walk and talk.

“It was scary for me to see her on Monday night, walking with a slightly wide gait and her face a little droopy. And looking at her Saturday morning after the MRI, and she could barely walk or talk.”

No tears allowed around Claire

As soon as the family received the diagnosis, Claire’s mother Meghan went into defense mode. No one was allowed to cry in front of Claire.

“Meghan was very stoic, she was clear, if anyone visited, she didn’t want them to be upset in front of Claire,” says Ms Chapman.

“She was protecting the space around Claire. She said we should all be happy.”

Mrs Chapman’s husband Steve – Claire’s grandfather – lost a daughter to cancer and took hours to recover in hospital before seeing his granddaughter.

“We just knew it was important that we were there to support them.”

Over the next eight weeks, Claire’s body endured 30 radiation sessions, two CT scans, 32 general anesthetics and 10 blood tests.

Explaining the difficult road ahead to their daughters Claire and her older sister Olivia, 10, has been one of the biggest challenges for Meghan and Mitchell.

“The initial conversation was that Claire had a lump on her head that stopped her from walking and talking properly,” says Ms Chapman.

“We’ve now said that Claire has brain cancer and Olivia knows there is a team of doctors doing everything they can for Claire.

“You can see Olivia struggling to understand why Claire is acting and looking different…her world has been turned upside down.”

The family plans a big party for Claire

While her condition has deteriorated at a “rapid” rate, Claire has retained a sense of humor and enjoys drawing, painting and playing on her iPad.

The family has tried to make a memorable exit, but they want life to remain as normal as possible.

“We are quite shocked,” says Ms Chapman. “We are torn between wanting normalcy for the girls and not knowing how much time we have left with Claire, so wanting to make things special.

“You can see that her stamina is getting less and less.”

One particular memory the family is focusing on is Claire’s party this weekend.

Her 7th birthday will be a big party at nana’s house, with activities and entertainment generously donated by the community.

“All she wants is a unicorn themed party and a bouncy castle. She just wants to be with her friends and cousins,” says Ms Chapman.

“It’s very difficult not knowing how much time you have left with someone.”

“The road ahead is heartbreaking”

Claire’s parents have agreed to put her on a trial drug, for the “chance of the minute” that gives her more time, but with higher hopes it will help families facing the same nightmare.

Meghan and Mitchell have survived this unimaginable time only because of the loving support of friends and family.

“Their resilience and determination is unwavering, but we know the road ahead will be heartbreaking,” says Ms Chapman.

“Meghan and Mitchell just want to give Claire a good life, that’s all. There’s not much time to grieve or think about life after Claire… We have to find hope where there’s hope and make her time special.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family with donations to be used for medical expenses and to create memories of Claire’s final months with her family.