Parents of Son Lost to Brain Tumour to Perform on West End for Charity

A couple whose infant son passed away after a brain tumour diagnosis is set to perform on the West End stage to benefit a cancer charity. Following the passing of their seven-month-old son, Rory, in January 2020, Amy and Matt Hall found engaging with music, either by listening or performing, to be “too painful.” However, the couple, who reside in Keswick, Cumbria, express their hope that their participation in an event featuring drama, comedy, and music, with Ted Lasso actor Phil Dunster as the main attraction, will offer “hope for other children.” This event, taking place at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre, is organized to generate funds for the Young Lives vs Cancer organisation. When Rory was four months old, his parents observed a squint in his eye, prompting them to take him to a GP. After being referred to an eye specialist in Bristol, their residence at the time, he received a diagnosis of medulloblastoma and succumbed to the illness three months subsequent to receiving chemotherapy. Mrs Hall stated: “Rory was our first child. He was everything you’d want your first child to be.” She added: “We used music a lot during his treatment. It was always playing in his room.” At that period, the couple was employed in the theatre sector, but they temporarily departed the industry after their son’s demise. “Our 2020 after he’d died was pretty silent,” Mrs Hall stated. “Music was too painful. We’d played our little Rory stuff on the piano, but to sit at the piano once he had gone felt wrong.” Mr Hall stated: “It took a long time for us to feel like we could make music again without it breaking our hearts. It took friends and family to help us dig up the courage to literally face the music.” He continued: “It’s been the same across our grieving – friends and family nudging us along with little motivations and big, beautiful hearts.” The Young Lives vs Cancer organisation has offered various forms of assistance, such as emotional support, a social worker, and financial grants to compensate for lost income. Phil Dunster, an actor and Mr Hall’s cousin, became an ambassador for Young Lives vs Cancer after witnessing the aid provided to the family. The event scheduled for Sunday night is set to showcase comedian Aisling Bea, actress, singer, and dancer Zizi Strallen, and singer-songwriters Alex Vargas and BEKA. Mrs Hall is also slated to perform vocally, with her husband providing piano accompaniment, having conquered her apprehension that it would be “far too scary.” She elaborated: “A few friends invited us to perform at local events, but we thought we just couldn’t do it,” adding, “We wouldn’t be able to get through songs without crying.” “Then we thought we’ve faced so much already that we can definitely do this for Rory.” She continued: “We’ve been through a lot of trauma, but we can’t let that be Rory’s legacy. We can’t let him be his illness.” She concluded: “We need to find something positive and some hope for other children as well.” Since Rory’s passing, the Halls, who have since had a daughter and another son, have successfully collected over £65,000 for various charitable causes. For updates, follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.