In May 2018, at the age of 4, our precious little boy, Matthew, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), a very aggressive and incurable brain tumour. Matthew died on 2nd October 2019, two weeks short of his sixth birthday. 

Our hearts will be forever broken by the loss of Matthew. All we can do now is raise money for deserving causes in his memory - he was such a wonderfully special and dearly loved son, brother, grandson and friend, and he will be forever missed.

In the summer of 2018, immediately following his diagnosis, Matthew initially spent six solid weeks on Ward L52, the Paediatric Neurosciences Ward in the Clarendon Wing of Leeds General Infirmary.

Ward L52 is a regional specialist unit, caring for children and young people requiring neurosurgical and neurological care and expertise. 

We would like to give Ward L52 a lasting and meaningful gift in Matthew’s name, in recognition of the care and support they provided to him, and us, during his treatment.

We are therefore hoping to raise £5000 to fund the set-up of a new Beads of Courage pathway for the chronically ill children on Ward L52. 

The Beads of Courage programme gives out a coloured or decorated glass/ceramic bead to poorly children, as a symbol of their courage, suffering and resilience, every time they undergo a procedure or treatment, or pass a milestone in their treatment. There is a different bead for each experience. The beads join together on a string to form a physical representation of their journey, keeping a record of every hospital trip and treatment. The Beads of Courage help to alleviate illness-related stress and anxiety and promote positive coping strategies to support children and their families.

The Beads of Courage programme is something that Matthew benefitted from, as an oncology (cancer) patient, but at present there is no pathway on Ward L52 that allows children with chronic neurological non-cancer illnesses and other life-altering conditions to access a beads programme like this. Children with chronic illness may be hospitalised for long periods or visit hospital frequently for treatment over many years, so the Beads programme would be a helpful addition to the support options available to them on the ward.

Examples of these beads include:

Yellow bead: an overnight stay in hospital

Blue bead: visit to the clinic

Glass bead: an act of courage

Special start bead: a special accomplishment

Purple heart bead: completion of treatment 

The £5000 that we raise will cover the ward enrolment, beads, training, literature and support required to implement this new pathway. Further funds will be needed in the future to enable more beads to be ordered as needed and to keep the programme going.   

The cover image on this page shows the beads that Matthew collected during his treatment. We think Matthew would be proud to know that he was helping other children to collect and enjoy the beads in the same way that he did.

Please help us to reach our target. Any amount, however big or small, will be a huge help 💖

Thank you. Lots of love from the Adcock Family xxx