The Di Blasi family want to shine a light on leukaemia in honour of their son Tyler. 86775 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By LAURA WAKELY
SOMEONE is diagnosed with a cancer of the blood every 46 minutes in Australia.
But Darren Di Blasi wants to stop other families from experiencing what he has gone through.
The Deer Park father and his family’s lives changed when Tyler, at just 14 months old, was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Despite the efforts of staff at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Tyler passed away.
“I knew that kids got sick. But being on that ward absolutely killed me,” Darren said.
“They’re so innocent and seeing the hell they go through on a day-to-day basis, through the chemo, how sick it makes them.”
For a long time, Tyler’s death was too sad, too raw for the family to even talk about.
“It still is hard now,” Darren said.
“It never gets easier but you learn to deal with it better.”
The Di Blasi family are determined to contribute to finding a cure for cancer, taking part in various fundraisers, including some for the organisations that have supported them since Tyler’s diagnosis.
“A cure for any sort of cancer is going to lead to good things for all areas, that’s the way we look at it,” Darren said.
This year he’s taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation’s Light the Night, a twilight walk where those who have been touched by cancer will light a lantern for cancer patients.
Walkers carry a gold lantern to remember a loved one, a white lantern to reflect on life with blood cancer or a blue lantern to show their support for others during the event in the Alexandra Gardens.
In just three days Darren raised $500, but he’s hoping to raise much, much more.
Tyler would have turned four this month.
Light the Night takes place from 5.30pm on Wednesday 26 September at the Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne.
For information or to donate visit www.lightthenight.org.au
