A DAD in Reading has raised thousands of pounds for charity after his son survived cancer last summer.
Andrew Mills has raised more than £8,000 by cycling from London to Brighton with friends following the diagnosis of his son, Henry, with bone cancer at the age of 9 last July.
Henry underwent several rounds of chemotherapy as well as a major operation to remove tumours in his leg.
Most of his femur and tibia were removed, as well as much of his leg muscle and his knee.
He now uses an implant in his leg which will require further treatment to expand as he grows.
While he was undergoing treatment, Harry’s family and friends held a number of challenges and events to raise money for Young Lives VS Cancer in his name, including a group of school friends who joined him in shaving their heads together.
This raised more than £40,000 for the charity, to which the family can now add the more than £7,000 raised in the cycle challenge.
Mr Mills was joined by eight friends when he took on the cycling challenge from the capital to Brighton, which also marked Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The funds will help the charity– the largest in the UK helping young people with cancer– to provide emotional support and help facing the medical and financial impact of cancer.
They also offer places for families to stay nearby hospitals while their children undergo treatment.
Harry and his family were supported by a social worker from the charity, which Mr Mills said was a contributing factor to their choice to raise funds for the charity.
He said: “We wanted to continue to raise some money for the charity and I floated the idea about doing the London to Brighton bike ride, having become a novice cyclist during covid.
“A group of Harry’s friends Dad’s jumped on the idea and were only too keen to join and raise some money.
“I didn’t realise before I signed up that there is a nightmare of a hill towards the end (Ditchling Beacon) but I was determined to go up it without getting off, in my mind and my motivation was that with everything that Harry has had to endure I’m going to beat this hill.”
He explained: “Young Lives vs Cancer have been with us throughout our journey and continue to be so post Harry’s treatment as it doesn’t end there.
“Harry will undergo scans and check-ups for 10 years, which will bring constant anxiety and of course he will need his implant replaced throughout his life.
“When Harry had his major operation they provided us a room in the house near the hospital for the week whilst he was in there, and have constantly been available to listen as and when it’s been needed because emotionally, you are on a constant roller-coaster.”
He said: “For us, it was easy to choose Young Lives vs Cancer because of the help they’ve provided us but also because the help they provide to so many families with children diagnosed with cancer.
“You see so many sick children in hospital which just seems so unfair and you know it’s a massive upheaval for every family.
“Many families with two parents working will find that one of them will give up their job to be able to be with their child every single day they are in hospital.
“Unless you’ve been through this you don’t realise or appreciate the enormity of what each and every family go through.”
The charity helped 293 young people in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire last year, as well as providing just under £50,000 in financial support through 229 financial grants.
On average, families of a child with cancer spend around £700 extra on things such as travel, clothing, food, and supplies to help with care.
Liz Blunt, Young Lives vs Cancer Fundraising Engagement Manager for Berkshire said: “We want to say a massive thank you to Andy for taking on this incredible challenge and continuing their fundraising for Young Lives vs Cancer.
“We rely entirely on donations to fund our vital work and so we can’t thank Andy Mills and his family enough for their fantastic efforts.
“Thanks to Andy, his amazing group of friends for taking on the challenge and to everyone who donated– their support means Young Lives vs Cancer will be able to help even more young people with cancer to get the right support when they need it most.”
More details about the fundraising efforts of Hazza’s Fund are available to view, including a place to make donations, via: justgiving.com/page/andrew-mills-1723392918564
Information about Young Lives VS Cancer, including how it supports families, is available via: younglivesvscancer.org.uk
