Musical legends including Sir Mick Jagger and Sting are among those supporting a school’s fundraising concert in memory of a student who died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Daniel Caplan died in December, aged 17, after being diagnosed with a DIPG tumour - an aggressive form of tumour with no cure - in May last year.
His fellow pupils at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, in Glasgow, have organised an online concert in the effort to raise £500,000 for the Funding Neuro charity, which finances research into brain tumours, and DIPG tumours in particular.
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Sir Mick, Sting and other singers, including Scottish singer Emeli Sande, have lent their support to the Doing it for Daniel concert by recording video messages for the event, which will air online at 7pm on Thursday 27 May.
Singer Fiona Meighan, 17, a sixth-year student at the school, said: “Due to Covid restrictions, we haven’t been able to hold the usual fundraising events in school. Charity and fundraising have always been a huge part of the ethos at Hutchesons’ but, this year, supporting Funding Neuro has been incredibly important for a huge number of us because of Daniel.
“I was really excited to perform in the concert and to support such a worthwhile cause, and I was blown away by the support we received from all the music artists, including Sting and Sir Mick Jagger.
“It gave us all a real boost and we hope their support will raise awareness of the need for more research into DIPG.”
Funding Neuro needs to raise £2.5 million for a treatment trial led by Professor Steven Gill for 18 children with DIPG tumours, £2 million of which has already been raised.
Broadcast students from the University of the West of Scotland filmed and edited the performances.
David Mulligan, chief executive of Funding Neuro, said 100 per cent of the funds raised from the concert would be used to finance Professor Gill’s clinical trial.
Thanks @UniWestScotland & @UWScreative students for filming the Doing It For Daniel concert in aid of @FundingNeuro. Brilliant support and talented film-makers
You can buy tickets for the May 27 concert which has cameos from international music stars here https://t.co/BXWVgjYSZ7 pic.twitter.com/dvXGPrGHbm
- Hutchesons’ Grammar (@Hutchesons) May 7, 2021
Daniel’s parents are also in the process of setting up the Doing It For Daniel Foundation, which will offer gifts and holiday breaks to children diagnosed with cancer.
Daniel’s mother, Alison, told BBC Breakfast: “You’re literally told on the day of the news of the biopsy that your child will die, and they will probably die within months, and there is no treatment plan available.
“To watch your child die in that way was absolutely shattering because, as a mother, you want to do everything you can for your children and I couldn’t save him.
“No one could save him and I couldn’t believe that decades had gone by and so little progress had been made in the field of brain tumours.”
Tickets for the event can be bought here or on the Funding Neuro page on the school website.
