Marvel star Eka Darville's son tragically dies aged just 10

Australian actor Eka Darville's 10-year-old son, Mana, has tragically passed away after battling aggressive glioneuronal brain cancer. Darville, known for his roles in Power Rangers RPM and Marvel’s Jessica Jones and The Defenders, had put his career on hold earlier this year to care for his son.

The family had relocated to America for Mana's high-risk surgery to remove as much of the primary tumor as possible. Unfortunately, despite the efforts, Mana's condition worsened, and he passed away recently. Mana's grandmother, Malaika, shared the heartbreaking news in a video posted on the Let’s Go Mana Instagram page.

In April, Darville had requested prayers for his son after months of fundraising for cancer treatment. Mana's health deteriorated significantly after collapsing on a beach in July 2022, leading to a seizure that paralyzed the right side of his body. Despite initial misdiagnosis, an MRI scan in January 2023 revealed two large tumors growing on his brain's surface.

Mana underwent a 14-hour surgery in Australia, where only 60% of one tumor could be removed. Later, doctors diagnosed him with a high-grade aggressive cancer, a form of glioneuronal tumor with genetic mutations usually seen in glioblastomas. The family sought treatment in the United States, which was not covered by insurance and came at a substantial cost, prompting them to launch a GoFundMe campaign.

Currently, their fundraising efforts have amassed over $654,000 (£537,000) to support Mana's medical expenses.

Friends and colleagues from the entertainment industry expressed their solidarity and sympathy for Darville and his family in the comments section of the video. Teresa Palmer, star of A Discovery of Witches, conveyed her heartfelt support, writing, "Sending immense love your way, friends ❤️."

Lesley-Ann Brandt, known for her role in Lucifer, expressed her sorrow, stating, "Heart cracked open. 😔 Beautiful Mana, how you’ve changed lives. I promise to honor your light every day. 🕊️♾️"

Only a few weeks prior, Darville had provided an update on Mana, sharing the family's journey during a critical phase of his healing. He had appealed for prayers and expressed immense gratitude for the overwhelming support they had received. Darville wrote, "We are beyond grateful for your support of Mana and our whole family. Without the monumental outpouring of love, in the form of financial support, prayers, and medical expertise, Mana would not be here today. But he is here. Still radiant, still fighting."

The actor described the past six months as an ‘absolute odyssey’ of highs and lows that ‘stretched our capacity to ‘human’ beyond every limit we thought we had’.



He continued on Instagram: ‘The gut punch news is that after months of stability and miraculous progress in his physical rehab, the tumour has clawed its way back and is growing faster than ever.

‘In the face of this newest challenge we are unwavering in our unwavering in our commitment to his complete healing & [sic] will accept nothing less.’

On Mana’s fundraising page, Darville had also revealed that the family had plans to travel to Europe and Japan for additional treatments in a bid to overcome his cancer.

In addition to his Marvel role as Malcolm Ducasse, Darville is also known for starring in Power Rangers RPM, The Elephant Princess and The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals.

His last release was horror anthology series Tell Me A Story, in which he appeared for 10 episodes between 2019 and 2020.

He’s also set to appear in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes alongside William H Macy and Kevin Durand when it’s released in cinemas in 2024.

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