Emma is doing well, all considered. She goes to school every morning for half days, and now has a full time Educational Assistant to help her - this is a great boon for her as we felt she needed to continue with this social aspect of her life, and maintain contact with her friends.

Despite her continued poor health Emma remains positive to help out as best she can with fundraising activities. We have attended Cops for Cancer events, and she got a rapturous response when she was presented to the Tour de Rock riders at her school (see https://www.facebook.com/emmagracesmith2003/videos...).

Recently Emma has been a focus of a media fundraising event for a local charity Help Fill A Dream which helps families like ours with financial aid and dream trips. Partnered with a local supermarket chain Country Grocer, HFAD hope to raise $50,000 with this campaign. HFAD have also asked Emma and her brother Charlie to take part in two Christmas Parades - in Victoria and Sydney BC, and they are very eager to do so.

Although Emma is doing great, we are financially struggling as a family. Emma needs constant supervision which continues to make it hard for her father to go away for work (he works on ships around the world). He had hoped to find work over the coming holiday season (though hated the thought of being away over Christmas for obvious reasons), but due to unforeseen circumstances with his own health he is unable to do so.

This has put an enormous strain on us as we are desperate for a injection of funds. We are now in the fourth year on this nightmare cancer journey, and each month it becomes harder to cope.

Once again we ask our new and old friends to please help us to maintain a roof over Emma's head and to provide for quality of life expenses. You are all that has kept our heads above water for the last three years, and we very much appreciate all donations!

Love to you all.