DIPG

DIPG

Mason Parrish dressed as Neil Armstrong, whose own daughter died of DIPG in 1962.
Mason Parrish dressed as Neil Armstrong, whose own daughter died of DIPG in 1962.

DIPG stands for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, which describes the shape and location of this rare, inoperable and incurable brainstem tumor.

DIPG has no cause and no cure. The tumor almost exclusively occurs in children. Symptoms can occur rapidly – in a matter of weeks. The only effective treatment is a six-week course of radiation, which typically results in a temporary halt in tumor growth, but progression usually occurs in a matter of months and the decline from this point is rapid with extensive physical debilitation. Approximately 300 children are diagnosed with DIPG each year in the United States, and they have the same prognosis today as ones diagnosed decades ago with no improvement in survival rate.

Mason Parrish was diagnosed on December 24, 2010 and lived only eight months after diagnosis. His family hopes The Mason Parrish Foundation will reflect how he lived – with creativity, exuberance and generosity.