Four-year-old cancer survivor William asking residents to help save lives like his

William Rich, from Bishopstoke, was just 13-months-old when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in March 2015.

His worried parents Julie and Shane had repeatedly taken him to see his GP when he continued to be sick but they never expected to hear their little boy had cancer.

Doctors found a tumour in the upper left side of his neck and William underwent chemotherapy immediately.

Julie said: “Much of it is a blur – you don’t ever think a child so young could have cancer. It doesn’t seem possible and it is hard to get your head around it.”

William underwent surgery to remove the tumour and the treatment has been successful.

Now the Stoke Park Infant School pupil and his family are asking the community to to clear out their wardrobes in September and donate clothing, accessories and homeware they no longer need to their nearest TK Maxx store to support Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens.

Julie said: “It’s thanks to research into children’s cancers that William is here today. That’s why raising funds for Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens is so important.He has been through so much at such a young age but William has always amazed us the way he has dealt with “the baddie” in his neck.We will all be having a good clear out at home and finding clothes and items to donate to our local TK Maxx store and we hope everyone will get behind this campaign too.”

When resold in Cancer Research UK’s stores, each bag of items donated could raise up to £30 to help fund vital research.

Jenny Makin, a Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens spokesperson for Hampshire, said: “We’re able to carry out more research to help find new, better and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer thanks to campaigns like Give Up Clothes For Good.So we hope as many people as possible will show their support. Every item donated will help bring us one step closer to beating the disease.”