Our background

SDBTT William Doolin Fund was set up on what would have been William’s eleventh birthday, 28 December 2006. After we lost William we felt it should be possible for anyone to make a donation to a fund as an alternative to buying flowers for William’s funeral. William’s uncle, Bernard, logged onto the internet to find the most suitable charity. After looking at a number of charities involving raising funds for brain tumour research, he found Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust.

SDBTT was set up in 1996 by Angela and Neil Dickson after their daughter, Samantha, died of a brain tumour just a few days short of her 17th birthday. Over the last ten years it has become the largest brain tumour charity in the UK with the highest level of laboratory based brain tumour research in the country. As well as raising money for research the Trust offers support to patients diagnosed with a brain tumour as well as their families and/or carers.

William’s Auntie, Sue, made contact with SDBTT and we were told that we could become an umbrella group, specifically raising funds for medulloblastoma, the type of tumour William had. We decided to form a committee consisting of family members and family friends. All of the family friends on the committee have boys who were special friends with William.

We have organised a number of fund raising events and have been very pleased with the support we have received. Within just two months of setting up the fund we raised £10,000.
We have recently produced a leaflet in the hope it will raise awareness of medulloblastoma. Just as we hope this website will be a lasting memorial to William and will also provide a discussion and information forum for anyone affected by medulloblastoma.