Community organises Christmas party for little boy with incurable cancer - family pleads for brain tumour research
The family of a little boy from Wednesbury with incurable brain cancer desperately appealed for more research into brain tumours in children and young people - as their whole community came together to give their child a late Christmas party.
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Tommy Rae was admitted to hospital on December 16 after his parents found he was suffering with constipation. After several scans, doctors at Birmingham Children's Hospital found a tumour on his brain. The four year old underwent an operation to remove the cancerous growth, but it had already spread. He was too weak to undergo chemotherapy.
Tommy's mum and dad, 21-year old Romanie Lawley and 23-year-old Jack Martin, and his grandma Emma shared their desperate plea for more funding for research into brain cancers. Shocking statistics by Brain Tumour Research say someone in the UK is diagnosed with a brain tumour every two hours.
"The chance of survival with a tumour like that is zero," Emma said.
"Why is that? In seven weeks we've seen about 35 kids ranging from new born babies to 18 year olds. They shouldn't be doing that. Breast cancer, screenings, every other aspect of cancer is covered, so why not these kids?
"They need more research. And if there is no funding, there is no research.
"You've got a four year old who loves the ocean, he could've been a marine biologist. He could've been saving you in 20 years time. But no. Because there's nothing there for him, no awareness, here we are.
"If there's anything that babby deserves, it's to raise awareness for somebody else. So that is our mission."
On Wednesday, donations were collected during a huge Christmas party on the street outside the family's home, where the friar park community gathered to sing songs to little Tommy.
Animal-loving Tommy also had special visits from a Delilah the donkey, Santa, who came on a carriage drawn by white horses, a motorcycle club and a local choir and vicar.
Grandad Raymond Martin said little Tommy-Rae is a happy boy who 'you never want to let go of'.
"When you're holding him, you just can't let go of him. As soon as you see him he puts a smile on your face. You don't want to hand him back!"
Emma thanked the community and those who came together for Tommy, saying they 'always look out for each other'.
"Its amazing, everyone has done fantastic," she said.
"It's like a big family. We have done so much for our community as well and for them to give it back to us like this, this is above and beyond."
Shaz Garmston, a close friend of the family, has been organising fundraising events for the estate over a number of years, and was shaking buckets with fellow fundraiser Mandy at the Christmas street party. They have managed to raise £7,000 with the help of the community and people from across the country.
She said: "I know Emma and saw her plight, and thought lets try it. I started the donation page, and more donations have been dropped to my house, and we are nearly at £7000. We've done really well in a week. Its come from everywhere, we're overwhelmed with all the support.
"It's just lovely, we are just an estate for everybody. When somebody's in trouble we alwayd come together. Always."
Below are a series of photographs from Wednesday's event, which truly capture the tragic nature of Tommy's situation, but also the incredible community support he and his family have received.
