Home loss shock as Mikey fights cancer

By Cornish Guardian

THE FAMILY of a boy who has been battling cancer since Christmas now face losing their home.
Little Mikey Wells from Par was rushed by ambulance to a Bristol hospital the day before Christmas Eve when doctors began to worry he had a brain tumour.

The seven-year-old arrived at the Frenchay Hospital where he was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma.
The 1cm by 3cm cancer had attached itself to Mikey's brain stem and had blocked fluid from leaving.
On Christmas Eve Mikey had his first operation, which lasted five hours, to remove the fluid and save his life.
On Christmas Day he awoke in a hospital bed with his family keeping a vigil.
Since then Mikey, of Old Roselyon Road, has had a further 12-hour operation to remove part, but not all, of the tumour.
Mum, Donna Wells and dad, Daniel Harvey have been told the entire cancer cannot be removed because the risks are too great.
Instead sports mad Mikey must use every bit of strength he has to fight the disease with the help of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
And in a double blow his family must leave their rented house after falling into rent arrears while trying to deal with the news.
While care home worker Donna, 29, keeps a 24-hour watch over her son in Bristol and Daniel juggles looking after their 19-month-old son, Rhys, and a 40-hour shift job, they cannot pay the rent.
So they have sold most of their possessions and agreed to move out and will live with Daniel's mum.
Moved by the family's plight, Donna's friends, Lisa Prior and Bekki Steward, decided to launch Well Wishers Fundraising. Donna said: "Mikey had been poorly for a long-time. Eventually, after numerous visits to Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, doctors said something was wrong."
The hospital said it could not comment.
News of Mikey's cancer was "like something you read in Take A Break magazine – I never, ever thought it would happen to us", said Donna.
"On Christmas Day Mikey was in a high dependency unit, unable to talk or move out of bed."
With the help of a wheelchair Mikey, is recovering well.
"He is starting to be that cheeky little boy again but the treatment he will have soon is going to take that away again," she said.
Mikey's dad said: "It has been very stressful but we have coped as well as we can.
"Mikey always has this great big smile on his face. He is always laughing and playing and it takes a lot to pull him down but this has really knocked it out of him.
"It's a lot for anyone to take but especially for a kid; he has been incredibly brave. Don't ever take your kids for granted because life can change at the blink of an eye."
Fundraising
The family's main priority is that Mikey has a roof over his head when he leaves hospital.
And when he does he will need visibility aids and a wheelchair.
This week Miss Prior and Miss Steward, 28, whose children Ebem, and Roman, both 7, are best friends with the Biscovey Academy pupil, launched the fundraising.
Miss Prior, 29, said: "They are really upset their best friend is so ill. Donna is a close friend. When she told us about Mikey we were just devastated for them."
They want to raise as much money as possible, and maybe even make Mikey's wish to go to Butlins come true.
A hair shave and leg wax event will be held at the Welcome Home Inn, Par on Saturday, February 25 from 7pm.
Mr Harvey said: "We are enormously grateful for everything everyone is doing; it's touching that people care so much." The family hope to celebrate a "simple but nice" Christmas when Mikey returns home. To support Well Wishers Fundraising call 07800 975663 or 07608 61818, or visit the Facebook page.