Youngster’s family raise funds for Sheffield’s Children’s Hospital Charity to thank cancer care team

Ringing the bell at the end of cancer treatment for eight year-old Charlie Leek was the signal for his family to start fundraising to thank Sheffield Children’s Hospital for caring for the youngster.
By Nigel Booth
Published 7th Mar 2019, 12:45 BST
Updated 7th Mar 2019, 12:48 BST
Taken two hours after Charlie's first brain tumour operation in 2015Taken two hours after Charlie's first brain tumour operation in 2015
Taken two hours after Charlie's first brain tumour operation in 2015

The grateful family from Stocksbridge are raising money for The Children’s Hospital Charity to thank the hospital for the care Charlie received after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2015. 

Charlie’s brain tumour was discovered when he was just four-years-old after his mum, Nicole Hirst, 28, noticed he was becoming more tired and walking into things.

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The family were referred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for an eye test which quickly led to an emergency CT scan when it was discovered there was intense pressure being put on his optic nerves.

The CT scan revealed Nicole’s worst fears: “The doctors told us that the tumour was acting like a plug in his brain and the fluid was building up around it, they said he was close to going into a fatal coma. We were almost relieved that there was something to explain what was happening to him and now they could help him but I was completely terrified that we might lose him.”

After ringing the end of treatment bell Charlie said: “I was really excited to ring the bell; all the nurses from the ward came to watch. My favourite things about the hospital are that they mended me and that I’ve made loads of friends here” The Children’s Hospital Charity have recently launched an appeal to transform the Cancer Ward at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. To support the appeal  visit www.tchc.org.uk website.