Little Mia Reid owes her life to a pioneering drug treatment. The six year olds parents, Martyn and Neesha, were warned their daughters chances of survival were very slim, after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Her only hope was a form of chemotherapy which had not even been trialled yet in the UK.
 Today Mia (pictured) is continuing to fight the illness - and her grateful parents are backing a £1 million appeal to help others like her. The Evening Mail today launches the Why My Child Appeal, which aims to help fund the first research centre into childhood diseases of its kind in Europe - right here in Birmingham. The WellChild Research Centre at Birmingham Childrens Hospital will carry out vital research into treatments and cures for a number of childhood illnesses, including cancer, diabetes and liver diseases. The campaign has been launched in partnership with the WellChild childrens charity, which has been funding research into childhood diseases for more than 25 years. The Reids world was shattered when they were told six months ago that their daughter had developed a large, and particularly aggressive, brain tumour. After the first operation and a full diagnosis, they made it pretty clear that the prognosis was virtually hopeless, said Martyn, aged 36, an electronics engineer. At this point we were not keen to continue the treatment. But Dr Richard Grundy, a paediatric oncology specialist at the Childrens Hospital, suggested they try a new form of chemotherapy drug. With everything to gain, the family agreed. After the chemotherapy, they did another scan and the tumour had shrunk, said mum Neesha, aged 29. It was fantastic news and it convinced the surgeons to operate again. Mia still has a long way to go, and she faces six week of radiotherapy treatment starting next week. Again doctors are depending on cutting edge technology to ensure it causes the least damage possible. But her parents say every day they are able to spend with their daughter is a gift. Life is all about fun for Mia and her brother Joe, said Martyn. We have had so much kindness from people and the hospital has been incredible. Neesha added: We are fully supportive of the WellChild Research Centre. We would support anything which could help prevent children going through what Mia has been through. Kedge Martin, chief executive of the WellChild charity, said: It seems so cruel, so wrong and so unfair when someone young is struck down by disease or disability, which is why we are launching this appeal. How you can help | 
