'A charity gave my son a childhood in hospital'

A mother has raised nearly £6,000 for a charity that enabled her son to "have a childhood" while being treated for leukaemia.

Four-year-old Connor, from Portishead in Somerset, was diagnosed in February. He is currently cancer-free but is still having chemotherapy to prevent it from returning.

Last weekend, his mother Lucy Radford took part in a 24-hour relay to raise money for Bristol Children's Hospital charity, the Grand Appeal.

She said the organisation had provided her family with endless toys and "distractions", allowing Connor carefree moments of "normality".

Connor spent his fourth birthday in hospital having a spinal tap, where a needle is inserted between the bones of the spine to collect fluid for testing.

To create a special memory, the Grand Appeal fulfilled his birthday wish by delivering a Jurassic Park Lego set to his bedside.

"It might seem like a small gesture, but in those moments, it meant everything," said Mrs Radford.

"It's a distraction, not just for the children but for the parents too.

"While they're playing, the adults can sit and talk about what's going on and how they're coping."

While having chemotherapy, Connor was also able to play with the ward's jukebox, toys, puzzles, games and books.

But Mrs Radford said Connor's illness was "a lot to take on".

"No parent should have to deal with their child being diagnosed with leukaemia, or any other illness," she said. "We just take each day at a time really."

More than 60 people took part in the fundraising relay, which was hosted by Portishead Running Club, of which Lucy is a member.

The club quickly surpassed its initial target of £2,000, raising £6,000.

The money will go towards state-of-the-art equipment, music, play and art therapy, family accommodation, and making the clinical environment more child-friendly.

After Connor's diagnosis, his mother said she thought the weeks-long stay in hospital would be "really hard".

"But so much effort and funding goes into making the hospital feel less like a hospital and more like a place of comfort and care, for both children and families," she said.

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