Family of Boy with Terminal Illness to Distribute Gifts at Hospital

The relatives of a four-year-old boy named Elias, residing in Radstock, Somerset, who was diagnosed with an inoperable and terminal brain tumour eight months prior and given a prognosis of nine to 12 months, are scheduled to deliver donated gifts to children in hospital this Christmas. Jake, Elias’s father, stated, “With what’s going on, it’s opened our eyes to what other children go through.” His wife Abbie, Jake, and Elias are planning to walk to the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) in Bath on December 22nd to hand over the presents. Jake commented that the day would be “special and emotional for us.” He further remarked, “Elias has touched so many people’s hearts… he’s such a special boy and everyone loves him.” He concluded by saying, “We’ve been put in this nightmare, so just to have so many people support us, support him… it does remind you there is good in the world.” Abbie, Elias’s mother, mentioned that Elias is currently receiving a medication described as “purely a trial,” given that there is no established cure for his specific type of brain tumour, DIPG (diffused intrinsic pontine glioma). Jake additionally stated, “If they can extend his life by two-three months, that’s a good result but it’s just one of those things we’ve just got to wait and see.” The family has partnered with Time is Precious, a charity located in Somerset, which was established to honour the memory of Nicky and Neil Halford’s son, Ben, who died at the age of five due to a brain tumour. A giving tree, organized by Team Elias and Time is Precious, has been placed at the Hive community café in Peasedown St John, close to Bath. Members of the public could select a tag from the Christmas tree, purchase the recommended present, and return it to the café for the Time is Precious team to wrap, intended for children hospitalized during Christmas. Ms. Halford indicated that Time is Precious assists the NHS by transforming environments to be “less clinical and more child-friendly.” She added, “It’s an awful time to be in hospital over Christmas so this brings smiles and joy.” She also noted, “And the community has been absolutely fantastic. It really gets behind people, especially children.” Concluding, she stated, “You don’t ever expect to lose your child before you go and I just think the support has been amazing.” Katie Chun, who manages the Hive community centre, described the response to the giving tree as “absolutely incredible.” She explained, “We put a Facebook post out [at the start of December] and the amount of gifts that were given immediately was incredible.” She further elaborated, “We actually had to put new tags on there, because so many people had taken them.” The cut-off date for donating presents was Monday, and the Time is Precious team is now tasked with wrapping these gifts for Team Elias to transport to the RUH before Christmas. For updates, follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.