Dad who lost son, 2, to cancer writes book on grief

A man whose young son died from cancer says he has found his purpose by writing books for children on how to handle grief.

Oke Ewule's son Chizi was only three months old when was diagnosed with a rare cancer called neuroblastoma and received a treatment that had a one in 1,000 chance of causing secondary cancer. He died two years later from leukaemia in 2014.

Mr Ewule, 49, from Bristol, said he cried driving to work every day for 10 months: "It was just my coping mechanism. It was just the way I knew how to cope."

The charity Children With Cancer UK said the book "shines a light on Chizi's story."

Mr Ewule told BBC Radio Bristol's John Darvall that he "went into autopilot and just [made] sure the family was fine".

Chizi died on 5 November 2014, meaning the autumn months can be hard for the family.

Mr Ewule said: "From October, it gets dark for me personally."

However, this year, he said it was different.

"This year doesn't feel dark at all. I'll tell you why, I have purpose. Something I prayed for when Chizi passed."

After 10 years, he wrote a book to help other families going through grief or illness.

The Bravest Little Bear, his second book, handles tough topics such as: childhood cancer, loss of family members and children whose siblings may have cancer.

Mr Ewule contacted many charities but said, "no one responded the way Children With Cancer UK responded".

"They are very human. There's a human face to this charity, which I really appreciate."

Sara Wakeling, a Children with Cancer UK trustee, said: "It takes a lot of bravery to shine a light on Chizi's story.

"Every day 10 kids are diagnosed with cancer and unfortunately two of those children will die.

"Chizi's story very sadly shows the toxicity, how brutal these treatments are, and how they can sadly induce secondary cancers.

"That is not how things should look today in 2025."

Mr Ewule is also working with NHS South West Innovation to gather feedback from schools about how effective the book has been with children.

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