Fundraiser for Zarliah Laidlaw raises $37,000 as family spends first week back in Creswick

A young Creswick girl being treated for a brain tumour is “the best she’s ever been” since her diagnosis, despite having more chemo and radiation therapy ahead of her.

Jake and Tioni with Mason and Zarliah, from Creswick. Five-month-old Zarliah was diagnosed with a rare aggressive brain tumour in April 2023. Photo: GoFundMe

A regional Victorian family has raised more than $37,000 for the treatment and care of their nine-month-old daughter.

Creswick’s Zarliah Laidlaw, daughter of Jake and Tioni and sister to Mason, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour in April 2023 when she was just five months old.

She was given a one in three chance of survival.

Zarliah Laidlaw, aged five months.

Zarliah at six months.

But despite her parents being told to “prepare for the worst”, after surgery and a round of chemotherapy, Zarliah slowly improved.

She has now had three rounds of chemo, and her treatment plan involves another three rounds and, possibly, a type of radiation therapy only available in the US which could provide her with a “complete cure”.

The Laidlaws have just spent their first week back in Creswick in three months.

Mr Laidlaw said being home was “nice, but really challenging.”

“I guess you feel safe at hospital,” he said.

“Coming home feels surreal.”

An online fundraiser had raised more than $37,000 at the time of writing to help cover the family’s costs, especially as Mr Laidlaw, a self-employed carpenter, has been off work.

He said he felt “blessed” by the support.

“It’s been awesome,” Mr Laidlaw said.

“We’ve got a really good community and people around us. The amount of people that have donated – we’ve just been blown away.”

Zarliah at eight months.

Zarliah at nine months.

For the next three months, Zarli’s family will have to stay within 15 minutes of the hospital in Melbourne.

Afterwards, if Zarli is fit to fly, the Laidlaws would set off to the US for two months.

They have applied for government funding, which would cover the cost of treatment and flights and accommodation for one parent.

Mr Laidlaw said he would “never wish upon anyone” the “emotional rollercoaster” of having an ill child, but said that at least in one way it had changed their lives for the better.

“It’s weird to contemplate saying that but this really refocuses you on the things you need to value,” he said.

He said although they weren’t out of the woods yet and nothwitstanding the preceding three months of chemo, Zarli was acting more like herself since her diagnosis.