WalkingYourWay

17/07/2026

Talin’s 14th Anniversary of his death to DIPG Brain Cancer…

Talin was 5 years old when diagnosed, he would go from normal to nothing in two days and then die in my arms 13 weeks later… It was 2012 and there was no treatment options…

Hi Talin…

Hi Dad…

Today is the day you died…

I choose this day to reflect and do some writing on the worst day of my life and the end of yours and in some ways, mine…

You got to come home just once from Sydney Children’s Hospital. It was day leave and it was my birthday and yours, just a little early…
You had lost your ability to walk…

The steroids had changed your body state; you gained weight and hated looking into mirrors…

But you were still beautiful, kind and sensitive…

I carried you, just like any parent would, a tired child, a weakened child, one that would not long be gone…

The care was there always and, even now…

The memories for me are just as live as yesterday, while I walk through the world of Silence on who you were…

I look at you, this image and remember… Weight, the weak grip, and the total giving of yourself to be carried and not be dropped…

I feel defined as a parent with you, and I see so many other parents in our DIPG Community doing the same…

Carrying their children…

I am so so sorry that you got picked for this terrible journey…

For the effect it has on your brothers, and every sibling that has lost another…

I am thankful that you are still working for change as a live cell line at CCIA…

You know there was a huge conference in Sydney for Paediatric CNS tumours IPSNO2026…

You would have been proud of all the local and international clinician / researchers coming together to fix this terrible disease…
I kinda think of them as pseudo parents to our children…

They care and they carry, just like me, and try and make a difference…

So, we pick you up, carry you and hope we don’t drop you…
In our hearts and minds…

In our very breath…

For life is not about the Silence…

It is about the Voice of Parents for their children…

The better options in treatments…

The Quality of Life…

The drive to get you back to what is best, a child with your family…

You are remembered, at least by me…

Everyday, every breath, every closing of my eyes…

And maybe… those that read about the amazing boy who gave his life to science to make life for those beautiful children that walk this journey…

Missing you to the Stars and back Talin…

Plus a little bit more…

Love Dad…

Miss you too Dad, thank them all for helping the kids…

We need them to make it right…

Pinky Promise Remember…

To make a Difference…

Hugs…

I know you won’t drop me…

Butterfly Kisses…

Talin...

14/06/2026

Hi Talin...

Hi Dad...

It's your birthday today... You are supposed to be 20 years old...

But you died... 😭

Sorry Dad... I wish it was different and I know that you do too...

None of us wished or wanted Brain Cancer to come to our door...

I wish we had more time for living and being...

Sigh...

I do too Talin... I miss you and your brothers more than you know...

I wonder what you would be like now at 20...

Who would you be as a person, working, studying and getting on with life as a young adult...

I am sure you would be the same sensitive person that you were...

You made it until just 6 and a few short weeks later you would die in my arms Bear Cottage Children's Hospice...

13 weeks from diagnosis is awful...

So what has changed Dad?

Well...

In the last 14 years there has been advancements in some treatment protocols that are kinda teasing around the edges of this dreadful disease...

Your live cell line The Children's Cancer Institute of Australia is one of the very first and is being used in the creation of a new clinical trial under Dr's David Zeigler and Maria Tsoli...

We have The Dun Lab with doing amazing work under the gaze of Josephine, another DIPG child... to Matt and Phoebe...

And there is the 2 people seeing out of your eyes...

Sadly though, there are some treatments, for kids, they last a bit longer but are still going to fly off into the sunset and leave their families...

We are lucky to have brilliant researchers here in Australia and around the World looking for a better treatment, but it is slow...

Still, the treatments are harsh, side effects and treatment related conditions exist and we have to follow Quality of Life otherwise, what's the point...

We still have to do better...

This means more research that costs money...

The willingness for Brain Cancer Research to be fully funded...

It seems that only high profile cases are funded and sadly children don't seem to have a voice...

So we have to do it...

The leading cause of death in children is Brain Cancer...

Birthrates are dropping around the World...

You would think that they would be cared for the priceless beings that they are...

Sorry Talin...

These things make me cross...

I wish you were here having a chat as we celebrate your birthday...

You would have had 2 decades of life experience to share and remember...

Sadly we have only the shortest of 5 years and a month...

Love you to the Stars and back Talin...

Plus a little bit more...

Love you too Dad...

Hugs...

17/05/2026

Today, May 17th, is DIPG Awareness Day...

It is a day of the worst tragedy a parent will ever know...

It is the day that your child is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer...

Without treatment the average time you have left is ~9.5 months...

For some of us it is quicker...

It could be any child...

It was mine son Talin, taken in 13 weeks...

Please support your local charity and foundation that supports research into DIPG / DMG...

It is not Rare...

It is a terrible disease that is neglected...

Children need a Voice...

Be the Voice for DIPG...

Thank you

Gerry Tye

01/05/2026

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month...

It is the Leading Cause of Death in Children...

It is about as Personal as it gets...

Please raise Awareness for Adults and Children with Brain Cancer...

It is underfunded, under researched and in serious need of Your Help...

Please approach you leaders, charities and foundations and see what you can do to help...

For me it is about my son Talin...

He was 5 years old and was diagnosed with ...

Talin would die in my arms 13 weeks later...

We have to do better...

Please spend the 7 minutes and watch this video...

Sadly

Gerry Tye

Silent Warriors Documentary is thanks to Mighty Maddy and Phoenix Eye Productions...

"Silent Warriors" is a series of 13 sho...

11/04/2026

Diagnosis Day....

Hi Dad...

Hi Talin...

You know that camera you got me...

I took a Selfie...

I know it's two days after diagnosis day, and things have changed for me...

I was running around last week and now I am not so much...

I have this special tube in my nose that feeds food and medicine into my tummy...

I don't know what is wrong with me, but are glad you are here...

You know I am a smart kid and I think this is something big...

I can see it in your face and hear it in your voice...

Sigh...

I know Talin... We will all do whatever we can for you...

I wish I could take your place...

Dad...

- This is one of the first times I have looked at these images -

The photos that Talin took himself to document what would be the end of his life...

Yes, there are more, including video and the response, even after 14 years is visceral...

There is no getting over the awfulness of Diagnosis Day, when your World crashes and burns when you love child is diagnosed with DIPG and will die in ~9.5 months...

At the time the treatment was radiotherapy and steroids...

Nothing else...

We didn't finish radiotherapy, and were shipped off to Bear Cottage Children's Hospice...

From today the 11th of April, till ~ 13 weeks was all we had left of this Brightest of Stars...

We all wonder how much do the know... and for all the children I have been involved in end of life over the years...

They know a lot...

They try and protect You from the hurt they see as they have caused you...

They are Selfless and Magnificent...

They inspire me to keep going...

I miss you and your brothers to the Stars and back Talin...

Plus a little bit more...

Shine on You Crazy Diamond...

Love

Dad...

05/02/2026

World Cancer Day...

It is something that effects everyone...

Themselves, someone they know or a friend or colleague...

If we can fix this terrible situation, we can save so many lives, make people so much more productive with good health...

Sadly Cancer in children has long and lasting effects that create long term problems for life...

We need to do better and use technology we have to do so...

Cancer can be Cured...

Funding and Research are Key...

Please support your local charity and foundation that does that...

Gerry Tye

30/09/2025

DIPG - Looking for the Positive...

What do you do when your child is going to die?

Talin was 5 years old when diagnosed in 2012... it was the 11th of April...

Talin would die in my arms on the 17th of July that year...

We didn't get the 9.5 months, there was no Honeymoon period...

We had ~13 weeks...

Talin is one of the worlds first live cell lines in at the Children's Cancer Institute...

And two people are seeing out of his eyes...

He asked me in one of our final conversations before he died...

'Can you make a difference...'

I try and do this with my work in the last 13 plus year working in brain cancer in Adults and Children...

I have created specialised DIPG groups and work with DIPG Support created by Paul Miller...

We have groups that cover: Support: Research: Parents Only, Angels and Adults...

Our groups are FREE and Active...

We look after over 13,700 people a day now and it is sadly growing...

Our groups are referred to by most major foundations around the World...

We try and make a difference...

I would like to thank all the medical researchers that try and make a difference to all our cohorts over the years...

Without you we still would be nowhere...

It is boots on the ground, get out there and do something, anything...

You never know when it will cause change that is effective for all...

Childhood Cancer is not a month, a year or a day...

It is a lifetime...

Our children were supposed to be a lifetime too...

Lets make it worthwhile...

Gerry Tye

"Silent Warriors" is a series of 13 sho...

07/09/2025

It's Father's Day in Australia...

For some of us this is a celebration, for some a difficult almost impossible day...

Father's are the generally background hero's in the relationship...

Of course there are the good and the bad ones...

But lets focus on the ones that are there...

Are Present...

Listen, care and hold you when you need it...

Sadly when they lose a child to distance, estrangement and the terrible aspect of death...

They break, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot...

Do we see it...

Probably not...

Father's care just as much about you...

They may not show it so much, but they are just as fragile as anyone with the most important people in their life...

You...

Please spare a thought or a hug for those Dad's that suffer in the Silence of Loss...

You are their greatest achievement in life...

You keep them alive...

They Love You...

Even when you are not there...

Even when they are not there...

Special Hugs to the Father's that have lost a child...

There is nothing worse...

Gerry Tye

05/09/2025

Wearing the Ribbon is great - doing something is Better...

I was reading a post about this recently and that was the general message...

Sure Awareness is a good thing, but getting involved is what truly makes a difference...

Being in the Adult and Children Brain Cancer Arena for the last 13 plus years has taught me that boots on the ground has the most effect...

Volunteering for a Cause is a great way of helping it...

There are so many ways that will cost you very little and sometimes it gets noticed...

Through the many and variety of Groups / Organisations I do work with includes Cancer Voices, Brain Tumour Alliance Australia (BTAA), Rare Cancers Australia, our own Worldwide groups are just some of the few...

I don't do it for the recognition...

I do it because I made a promise to my son, just 6 year old, Talin to make a difference days before he died from ...

So...

Please support your Cause...

It can be in anyway that makes a difference...

If you can lift a feather weight off someone in need - you have achieved an amazing thing...

So wear the Ribbon, and then put it into action...

Pictured: The Hon Mark Speakman leader of the opposition for NSW Australia and some guy trying to make a difference...

Gerry Tye

01/09/2025

It is the 1st of September and importantly - Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...

Why is this important?

Without Children here is no Future...

We are their Voice in all things especially in the Medical Arena...

They depend on us, as one day we might them...

For Rare Diseases such as they have no one except us...

For parents looking after a sick child all we want to do is see them get better...

In Cancer there sometimes is No Better...

In Cancer there is long term side effects from the disease and the treatment...

We carry our Children through life and sadly sometimes in death...

Learning how to treat these diseases helps Adults with Cancer as the treatments are different and can have an effect in adult studies...

Adult Clinical Studies do not apply to children...

The cohort is different as well as the developmental milestones...

Children are the Gold in our Lives - Wear the Gold Ribbon...

They are our most Priceless Gifts...

I hope that you don't lose yours...

Please do what you can for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month...

We need more than a Month...

Childhood Cancer is relevant every Single Day...

Gerry Tye