A DALE youngster has smashed his fundraising target for the hospital where his little brother is receiving treatment for leukaemia.
Benjamin Hawksby, ten, has already raised more than £2,000, beating his aim of £200, to help children at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle where his brother, Joshua, is undergoing treatment.
Five-year-old Joshua Hawksby, of Staindrop, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in February.
The boys’ mum, Susanne Hawksby, said: “Benjamin joined an athletics club to help him come to terms with his younger brother’s illness. He loved it and thought he could help other people too.”
Benjamin’s dad, Daniel Hawksby, said: “Benjamin decided he wanted to raise £200 to help the children of ward four and 14 by running the Raby Castle 3km fun run.”
Benjamin said: “I felt helpless and really wanted to do something to say thank you to the RVI for the amazing care they are giving Joshua.”
The youngster added he wanted to “help other boys and girls with leukaemia get better”.
Mr Hawksby added: “Anybody who has ever been touched by leukaemia or cancer will totally understand how helpless everyone around them feels. This is Benjamin’s way of not feeling helpless.”
Mrs Hawksby said: “Joshua is a tough lad and he is responding well to treatment. She said he was in remission and he is 12 weeks into a three-year course of treatment.
Thanking people for their help, she said: “Any donation regardless of size will be very well received while also giving a ten-year-old boy some help in coming to terms with what his younger brother is currently experiencing and also making him feel like he’s making a small difference to help children on his brother’s ward.”
The Raby Run takes place on Sunday, May 12, and anyone wanting to donate can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/daniel-hawksby
