“I’ll do everything I can to help save his life.”

These are the words of Helen Hayes, the Chandler’s Ford mum who is to take up a major challenge in a bid to help her 15-year-old son Ed win his fight against cancer.

The Thornden School student was diagnosed with a rare cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in November 2017.

Office worker Helen, 42, said: “Edward has been amazingly brave, initially having two operations – one to remove the tumour and one to insert a double lumen Hickman line in the vein in his chest, which is for administering chemo, medications and for taking regular blood tests.”

Since last year, Ed has undergone treatment at Piam Brown Ward at University Hospital Southampton and at Winchester Hospital.

“We are all very proud of Ed’s unbelievable strength and how he has coped with each awful intensive round of chemo. He has never really complained and is a positive soul,” Helen added.

She said fewer than 60 children in the UK are diagnosed with RMS each year and in the past 20 years there has been very little change in the treatment for young patients affected by the disease.

“As Ed’s own personal challenge is so huge I have chosen a challenge which is something completely out of my comfort zone. I have chosen to take part in the Great South Run in October 2018,” she said.

Helen will run with her sister Lizzy and her 18-year-old daughter Chloe.

All the money raised, will go towards Chris Lucas Trust – the only charity in the UK funding scientific research for RMS.

To help visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/helen-m-hayes.