The family giving back to charity that supported them through son’s cancer treatment

It was just days before his third birthday when Bodhi Eades was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Instead of celebrating with cake and presents as other children his age could, Bodhi was woken up at 5.30am at Bristol Children’s Hospital on January 27 this year to enable him to have a snack before undergoing surgery later that day.

He needed to have chemotherapy injected into his spinal fluid and a plastic port placed under the skin in his chest, which will be there for two years to receive special fluids and medicines whilst he undergoes chemotherapy.

Bodhi has spent the eight months since his diagnosis in and out of hospital, unable to spend time playing with friends or at nursery because of the risk of him catching something.

Throughout all of this, he and his family have been supported by The Grand Appeal and they are now all taking part in the Great Bristol Run on Sunday to raise money for the charity that has been there for them when needed most.

Bodhi’s dad will be running the 10K while Bodhi, his sister, Nola, and mum will be taking part in the family run. More than 45 other friends and family members will also be running and covering various distances, including the half marathon.

Bodhi says: “If we can raise some money it will really help some of my new friends – other children like me (and worse) – and their families get the support they need through Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.”

The family tells the story of Bodhi’s leukaemia diagnosis from the three-year-old’s perspective: “On January 24 2022, I went for a blood test as I was always getting ill and tired. Two hours and minutes after that blood test, I heard my parents talking on the phone and I was taken to Bath Royal United Hospital (RUH) for an emergency blood transfusion.

“A friendly play worker stayed with me while mummy and daddy went into the next room with the doctors, where they were told I had something called leukaemia.

“That was over six months ago and, since then, I have spent my time either in hospital in Bristol or Bath or at home. I’m not allowed to hang out with friends or at nursery, I can’t go to a soft play or even to a cafe because my mum and dad say it’s really easy for me to catch something from other people and get even more poorly.

“Luckily, I have found some new friends, like the doctors, nurses and care workers at Bristol Children’s Hospital and the RUH. They’re amazing. They stay awake all night taking my temperature, blood pressure and giving me medicines. They let me shout at them when I’m sad and be mad with them when they give me medicines that taste bad and injections that hurt and scary prods and pokes in my port.”

The Great Bristol Run takes place on Sunday – photo Great Bristol Run

Bodhi continues: “What’s really amazing is that on the top floor of the children’s hospital, I feel like I am pretty lucky. My mum and dad get to go home when they need to, as it’s not far from our house, and the doctors say I have been recovering really well and have a really good chance of getting better. Others aren’t so lucky. Some of the kids I see out of my bedroom window come from places more than four hours away and their mum and dad have to live separately and not go home as it’s too far. They seem a lot sicker than me and don’t get to go home as much. Luckily, my new friends can help them through Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal to make their life a little easier. This is the charity that helps families like ours when we really need it.

“Without them, we can’t imagine what the last six months would have been like and how all mummies and daddies would cope with childhood leukaemia or cancer.

“We are all going to do the best job we can and try really hard to push ourselves. Then this should help you to donate to such a fabulous cause, that is instrumental in the support we have received, which would be a small way of saying thank you to all of my new friends.”

Donate to the Eades family fundraiser via: www.justgiving.com/bodhisgranddayout

Main photo: Eades family/ Nathalie Ackbar PR

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