Reece's Story

Watching your child grow and move forward through developmental milestones – learning to sit, to crawl, to take the first tottering step – what a joyful process for a parent! Reece’s second birthday was just around the corner, I was planning his party.

Inside or out, what cake does he want, should I get a bouncy castle, what toys should I buy or more the point what toys would he like, This was to be Reece’s first real birthday, one he would remember, How right I was.

How frightening then, to watch your child, suddenly seem to "Stop." That is what happened to me, shortly before Reece’s second birthday.

In 2007 Reece and I were about to embark on the battle of our lives, spending many weeks and months together in hospital.

Not only did I take up parental responsibility for Reece around the same time, but I also was inspired to start the charity Little Heroes.

A Cancer Diagnosis with a Poor Prognosis
2 weeks before Reece’s 2nd birthday was taken up by, planning the party, sorting out what to buy, is it going to be indoors or outside, what’s the weather going to be – all the normal stuff parents / carers do for their child’s birthday.

Now imagine waking up and your child is ill, not just a little ill but very ill. Reece became ill with a series of infections which made him very poorly. He was taken in to hospital to find out what was wrong. To take a child to hospital is a horrible experience for any parent, but what would you do if they told you YOUR CHILD HAS CANCER

"I knew Reece was really ill, but I never expected the news that was about to be broken. Reece had cancer. ‘That was the most devastating moment in my life, you don’t believe it – it feels like a dream a nasty nightmare’ That moment will live with me forever."

I was told that Reece’s Cancer was poor, because it was one of those rare cancers in children. Philadelphia chromosome. Reece’s type of cancer was to be treated with a combination of Chemotherapy, Radiation and a Bone Marrow Transplant.

Reece started treatment immediately. The medical team inserted a "port" in his chest, through which he would receive chemotherapy drugs. This is when Reece and I began the long journey, marked by the terrors and triumphs that is cancer treatment

Imagine. Waking up one morning to be told your child has cancer. Seeing your child with a tube hanging out of their chest and out of their nose. Signing forms to allow toxic drugs to be pumped into their bodies, for weeks, month after month. Blood transfusion after blood transfusion, infection after infection because they have no immune system. Having all this for up to three years. Being told that because of the treatment needed your child will be sterile, your child may have brain damage and your child may have lung, kidney, heart and liver damage, together with stunted growth. Being told that your child may need treatment for the rest of their life. For Reece and I hospital treatments became a way of life, Poor Reece spent over 260 days in hospital following his diagnosis of cancer in the first year, followed by weeks and weeks in his second. He went 32 days without eating, 4 days without moving, often I would cry myself to sleep, that if I could sleep. The stress was unbearable, the noise of the machines beeping, children crying filling my head all the time wondering if today was the day I would have to say goodbye to Reece.

However, He got better, a little bit. The cancer was stopped, but he suffered getting there.

Life after Cancer should be Pretty Simple. Today, Reece is still being monitored constantly for signs of secondary cancer (which could be fatal). My little boy who once seemed to be growing backwards is now quite an advanced five-year-old

For Reece, swimming and playing had been replaced with infusions and transfusions. The steroid medication he took made him irritable and emotional but on most days you can’t tell he’s not completely healthy boy – a very high-spirited one

"If there’s a good thing in all of this, it’s watching Reece grow up. He is a brave kid and I admire him so much. I figure the rest of our life is pretty simple. When we look at what Reece has done and how he has stood up to this, I know that we’ll be able to handle whatever comes."

Imagine when a child is undergoing treatment, that child receiving a present (or toy) from a child who has been through this nightmare, for that one second, they may smile as such they may feel better if only for a moment, not only will they smile but so may their family. Now imagine giving a toy to every child on a cancer ward. How many smiles could you make?

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them.

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. When a child smiles, there is a measurable reduction in their blood pressure. Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling. If you can help us to achieve a smile on a child’s face who is undergoing treatment for cancer, is it not priceless knowing that you have personally made a child in pain smile?

This is why I am asking you to help me and complete the Ultimate Toy Drive.

Reece and I want to visit every Children’s Cancer Hospital in the UK and give these families hope and see that there is a possible light at the end of the tunnel.

Reece will be dressed as father Christmas and give out the toys. Parents will be able to see a child that has gone through so much giving back to their child, and I hope put a smile on their face’s

THANK YOU for supporting this challenge, and please get as many people as you can to help me help these fantastic kids and their families.

For further details; www.littleheroes.org.uk