GENEROUS businesses have come together to give a family a dream bathroom after hearing how a little boy had battled a rare form of cancer.

Five-year-old Daniel Rainbow was diagnosed with neuroblastoma as a toddler, and has now been in remission for 14-months.

But the two years of gruelling treatment took its toll on the family, from South Moor, Stanley.

When Noel McCallum visited their home in School Terrace to give them a quote he heard what they had been through and offered to fit the bathroom for free.

His company, APL Bathrooms, in Chester-le-Street, decided to go even further and contacted their suppliers to ask them to donate the materials needed.

Mr McCallum, a father-of-three, said: “Daniel is such in brave and inspirational little boy fighting every step of the way.

“The family have been through a tough time and instantly I knew we had to something to help.

“Eight weeks later we had managed to get the everything, including tiles, and fit the whole bathroom for free.”

Suppliers who helped with the work include Q4 Bathrooms, Crosswater, Zehnder, Barwick, Ceramic Tile Distribution, A&G Skip Hire, Lakes Bathrooms, Tavistock Bathrooms, British Ceramic Tiles, HIB, Woodstock Ltd and International Decorative Surface.

Mr McCallum added: “The bathroom is now complete and they love it.

“What an amazing family they are, having to go through the battle they have. I am so glad a local company like us can help in the way we have.

“I would also like to thank the suppliers for their help. “I feel blessed that I work with a group of people that could come together and help a family like this.”

Daniel’s mother, Claire Rainbow, 36, who works as an accounts assistant at Lumley Castle, was told about her son’s illness just three days before she learned she was pregnant with her daughter, Emily, now two.

Mrs Rainbow, who is married to Michael, 45, who works as a warehouse operative, is running this year’s Great North Run to raise money for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families with a seriously ill child.

She said: “The new bathroom is amazing. I love it.

“I think we spend most of our time in it.

“It is the best room in the house.

“When they said they would do it for free I was trying to hold my tears back. It is very nice of them.”