Mighty Magnus! Community raises thousands for Northamptonshire six-year-old boy with rare cancer

A Northamptonshire village has rallied in support of a brave six-year-old fighting a rare childhood cancer.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Jul 2018, 07:57 BST
Updated 26th Jul 2018, 08:59 BST
Mighty Magnus was diagnosed this Christmas with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.Mighty Magnus was diagnosed this Christmas with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Mighty Magnus was diagnosed this Christmas with a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

The story of Magnus has inspired friends, neighbours and the community in Brixworth to help fund life-saving treatment not available in the UK.

The little boy was diagnosed last Christmas with stage four Neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer affecting children under five.

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It is a challenging illness to treat and due to the risk of relapse Magnus will require constant monitoring in the years following the initial treatment protocol.

His family has thanked the groups and complete strangers who have helped raise funds for Magnus' potential treatments abroad.His family has thanked the groups and complete strangers who have helped raise funds for Magnus' potential treatments abroad.
His family has thanked the groups and complete strangers who have helped raise funds for Magnus' potential treatments abroad.

But since his diagnosis, the Mighty Magnus Medicine Fund (MMM) has raised over £30,000 after his home village of Brixworth and the community of Northamptonshire came together to hold a host of fundraising events, with more planned for the future.

Parents Kate and Sandy said: "‘This has been such a tough eight months for us since Magnus’s diagnosis but we could not have got through it all without the amazing kindness and support from so many people, including complete strangers who have been so generous and taken Magnus to their hearts."

Kate and Sandy have now also shared a picture of Magnus' beads of courage - a string of beads where he adds one every time he receives treatment.

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For his Viking-themed sixth birthday party in April, Magnus was so determined not to disappoint his guests that he received a blood transfusion in the morning to give him the energy to conquer the day.

Magnus adds a "bead of courage" to this braid every time he goes for treatment.Magnus adds a "bead of courage" to this braid every time he goes for treatment.
Magnus adds a "bead of courage" to this braid every time he goes for treatment.

The MMM was created in May to raise funds for essential treatment not offered by the NHS at the time.

Following a public campaign, the NHS will now fund the drug - but in order to give Magnus the best chance of survival and avoid the high risk or relapse, he will need access treatments only available in the US and elsewhere.

A JustGiving page has also been set up to help fund Magnus' potential treatments abroad.

The next upcoming fundraising event for MMM in Northamptonshire is a clothes swap and ladies evening on October 12 at 7pm at Brixworth Village Hall.

Related topics:NorthamptonshireParentsBrixworthNHS