Six-year-old girl dies from rare brain tumor after misdiagnosis and nine-month prognosis

A six-year-old girl named Joules Smith was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor after her parents sought a second opinion. Initially told she was fine, they returned to the hospital and learned she had diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Joules passed away on December 9, just seven months after her diagnosis. Her father, Joe, shared their journey on TikTok, raising awareness about childhood brain cancer and encouraging others to "dance for Joules." A GoFundMe page for the family raised nearly £96,000. Joe confirmed Joules's funeral will be held on December 27, inviting friends and supporters to wear pink and blue. He expressed gratitude for the support and pledged to continue raising awareness about DIPG in her memory.