A YOUNGSTER has raised more than £2,500 for charity by taking part in the Raby Castle fun run.
Ten-year-old Benjamin Hawksby, from Staindrop, set out to raise £200 by competing in the 3km race to help children at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle, where his five-year-old brother, Joshua, is undoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Mum Susan Hawksby said: “The medical care of the children at the RVI is exceptional, but a lot of them, especially the younger ones, struggle emotionally. Joshua wouldn’t get out of bed. In effect he was bedridden for two weeks.”
Mrs Hawksby added: “There is no treatment for the emotional side of cancer, and we found that children were shutting off. Benjamin found seeing his little brother like this was very hard to cope with.”
Benjamin had been stopping at a friend’s house while his mum and dad were visiting his younger brother in the RVI. His friend is a member of Evenwood Road Runners junior section and Benjamin just started going along with him.
That was less then three months ago and this May he completed his first 3km run in 18 minutes and ten seconds at the Raby Castle.
When he set out on his fundraising activities, Benjamin wanted to raise enough money to buy Lego and toys for other children in same situation as his brother.
Mrs Hawksby explained: “Benjamin has raised much more than he expected. We have spoken to the hospital about purchasing some medical equipment. We also noticed that not all children have a television at their bedside so this is something else we are looking at.”
Joshua is back at home and undergoing nine weeks of standard treatment before his next bout of intense chemotherapy. Mrs Hawksby said: “This is the calm before the storm and is designed to give Joshua’s immune system a break.”
She added: “We are taking things on a week to week basis. Joshua is back at school this week, mornings only, but he is due to have another operation next week as part
of his three-year treatment plan.
“We are absolutely amazed at how people have responded to Benjamin’s fundraising efforts.
“We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their kindness and support.”
