Stay strong for Seth is an amazing group of family, friends, families of seth's school pals, work colleagues, acquaintances and complete strangers who have all decided they want to help raise money for children's cancer charity, candlelighters, after being moved by seeing the pain and suffering my son Seth underwent after being diagnosed with cancer. 

As a total group we want to raise as much money as possible for the candlelighters charity so that they can continue and grow their support of children and there families who are going through the very difficult journey of a child with cancer. Candlelighters get involved in all sorts of different projects to help ordinary families who are facing extraordinary circumstances.

We have received so much love and support through this particularly difficult and anxious period, particularly through the Leeds based Charity Candellighters. The Charity employs a number of people on the ward directly and funds a lot of life changing activity on the ward. They employ play specialists who spend time with your child, playing with them, entertaining them, helping explain the procedures they are undertaking. They invest in equipment on the ward, from games and play equipment to funding the pavilion a space for the children and families to use just to get away from the ward for a period of time. They also run extensive programmes to help the families of children suffering with cancer. They have been a tremendous support to me Seth and my family, I want to raise as much money as possible for them to help other children and families that are undergoing such a difficult journey as Seth. They have made a difference to our lives, please support where you can.

Background to Seths Story

On the 11th December 2017, my gorgeous 6 year old boy Seth with the cheeky smile and beautiful eyes was diagnosed with Lymphoma cancer. Life changed overnight for Seth, his 8 year old sister Seren and his family.

Seth had a fast growing Lymphoma tumour in his neck which was obstructing his windpipe and causing difficultly to breathe, had created a blood clot near his brain and was pushing against his brain causing the cancer to spread to his central nervous system. 

The tumour was a fast growing cancer called Birketts, and as such the treatment was very intensive with 7 chemotherapy treatment plans with very little gap in-between treatments and 14 lumber punctures. I can't explain just how difficult and brutal the treatment is and the side effects Seth has undergone, i have watched him with utter admiration and pride as he has undergone treatment and procedure after treatment and procedure.

To give a bit more detail on this, a lumber puncture is where chemotherapy is injected directly into the base of the spine whilst under a general anaesthetic, this is to eradicate the cancel cells in Seth's central nervous system, Seth had 14 of these over a 5 month period and on occasions 3 in a week as well as chemo directly into his body. He has also undertaken 7 rounds of chemotherapy treatment, which give him nasty side effects ranging from sickness, to mucositis  where he has ulcers in his mouth and tummy. It is post treatment when Seths immune system is wiped out by the chemotherapy where he has been in the most discomfort, he has picked a number of really nasty illnesses including pneumonia, Meningitis, and CMV. This has led to long periods in isolation long periods confined to bed.

It is now over 5 months since we received this life changing news,  during this whole process Seth has virtually been an ever present in Ward 31 (children's oncology ward) at Leeds General Infirmary, he has spent broadly 15 nights at home in his own bed during the whole period. He has been in hospital all over the Christmas and New Year period as well as over Easter, he has missed so much time with family and friends. Despite all of this he has managed to keep a cheeky smile on his face and glint in his eye, I am such a proud father of a real life super hero, Super Seth. I could never explain in words just how much he has had to endure, every day and every hour over a 5 month period with no virtually no respite.   

Stay Strong 4 Seth

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