Meet the region’s bravest children (From The Northern Echo)

Meet the region’s bravest children

11:09am Wednesday 25th November 2009

Print
Email
Share
Comments(0)

Twenty-five children from across the region will receive bravery awards at a ceremony next week. The youngsters will be recognised for their courage and resilience in the face of serious illness or adversity. All of them will be presented with a Brave Hearts crystal pyramid and a prize of their choice by broadcaster Carol Malia, from BBC Look North, at a ceremony at St James’ Park, in Newcastle, next Thursday.

Leukaemia survivor will be honoured at awards

HARVEY GAYDON, 14, from Darlington, was nominated for a Brave Heart award after undergoing a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Harvey, who lives in the Blackwell area of the town, needed a transplant in April after an extensive course of chemotherapy failed to cure his second bout of leukaemia.

The teenager, who attends Hummersknott School, was first diagnosed with leukaemia when he was seven.

He had been due back at school this summer, but was advised to stay away because of the risk that he might catch swine flu. Despite staying away, he still caught the virus and only recovered earlier this month. It is hoped that he will be able to return to school after Chirstmas.

Before he was ill, he was a regular player for Mowden Rugby Club and New Blackwell Lawn Tennis Club.

Although he is not strong enough to play rugby yet, he has picked up his tennis racket again.

Recently, his family helped raise more than £4,000 for a charity that helps fellow cancer sufferers.

His father, Stuart, who coaches tennis, said: “Harvey has been superb throughout.

He never complains, he always just gets on with everything.

“He remains upbeat and optimistic all the time. He just tries to enjoy everything he is able to do at the moment.”

The family were buoyed by test results last week which show that Harvey is on the mend and making progress.

“We had the best results we have had for a long time,” his father added.

Cancer-fight Joshua looks forward to event

AFTER being diagnosed with a fast-growing form of bone cancer, Joshua Mann, five, from Spennymoor, County Durham, had to undergo surgery to remove part of his left leg.

“He has just finished chemotherapy and he is well on the way now. The doctors are really pleased with him,”

said his father, Jason.

“It has been very hard for Joshua, but he is beginning to smile again. He is such a character,”

he added.

It was November 14 last year when Joshua was diagnosed as having a bone tumour in his left leg. Mr Mann said: “One morning I got him up before I went to work. I picked him up and he was crying and clearly in pain.”

The family’s GP quickly referred Joshua to hospital where doctors warned his parents, Jason and Carolyn, that it was a particularly dangerous form of bone cancer.

“He is one of the youngest children to have had this particular form of cancer,” said Mr Mann.

The couple were faced with the terrible dilemma of whether to agree to the amputation of his left leg up to above the knee or to risk the cancer spreading.

On balance, the couple decided it was in their son’s best interests to agree to the amputation.

The alternative could have been putting him through 20 or 30 operations without any guarantee of success.

“I always wanted to be a dad, but I didn’t think parenthood was going to be like this,” said Mr Mann. Jason has been fitted with a prosthetic leg and is looking forward to attending the Brave Hearts ceremony.

Recognising Bronson’s bravery

BRONSON HONEYMAN, 11, from Bishop Auckland, was also nominated for a Brave Heart award, in recognition of the bravery he has shown in fighting a brain tumour.

His mother, Annette, said: “All the nurses have really taken to him. He has been so brave and not complained once.”

Bronson, who is being treated at Newcastle General Hospital, recently began a course of chemotherapy that is due to last until March. “At one stage he was so poorly he couldn’t walk or talk, but he has picked up recently,” she added.

Mrs Honeyman is just grateful that she decided to take him to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

“I took him to my doctor a few times, but they said there was nothing wrong with him, but I knew there was something wrong and that’s why I took him to Darlington hospital and asked for him to have a brain scan. That was June 12, I will never forget that day.”

A scan revealed an unusual swelling in Bronson’s head and more tests confirmed that he was suffering from a brain tumour.

Cancer specialists told the family that Bronson’s tumour was so unusual that tissue samples would have to be sent to a professor of oncology in the US for diagnosis.

“At first he was really frightened, but he has never complained and now he knows he is getting better.

“I am very proud of him,”

she added.

“He is walking better and doing a lot of things that he couldn’t do.”