Di and Adam Llewellyn, from Anstey, have already raised �18,000.

Their son Billy died in 2003 from lymph cancer after three years of treatment and they say they want to provide parents with 'a place to escape'.

Mrs Llewellyn said: "We want Billy's memory to live on by purchasing a holiday home to be used by families."

Marrow transplant

Mr Llewellyn said: "We had a very traumatic time with Billy going in and out of hospital - we were finally told it was cancer and he had two years of treatment."

It is like you are in a TV soap when you are told - there is a lot of pressure Di Llewellyn

Billy had a bone marrow transplant with a donation from his sister, but it only helped with one of his medical problems.

"He went into remission and relapsed just before his sixth birthday - we brought him home for his last two weeks," Mr Llewellyn added.

"Billy - for a lad of six - handled it amazingly well.

"We want to help other families who have to go through this sort of thing."

Billy's mother said: "It is like you are in a TV soap when you are told - there is a lot of pressure.

"It is about getting away and finding some family normality. We want to provide a sort of cocoon for people so they can recover."

The holiday house will be available to families with terminally-ill children who are treated in hospitals in the Leicester area.