'The family is broken' - Brave five-year-old boy with rare cancer has leg amputated
A WOMEN’s boxing fundraiser is set to take place in support of a five-year-old boy with a rare bone cancer who had to have his leg amputated.
Essex Pink Gloves Boxing, based in Colchester, is hosting the event for Damian Waller Gray who was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.
Damian required an amputation on Friday, March 24, as due to the cancer spreading he would not have been able to use his leg ever again.
Leah Hayward, Damian’s aunt, said: “Before being diagnosed Damian was a happy healthy five year old but he suffered with on-going leg pain.
“The doctors used to say he had growing pains and last May he was taken to hospital in London where they said he had a fractured tibia.
“For a few weeks he was put in to a cast then a second cast that he could walk on.”
On the day of his cast’s removal the consultant said Damian had knock knee and his mum Beth Mohun Gray along with her partner Jay Bethany kept taking him back to hospital because of his pain.
Damian was walking with his bad leg facing inwards because of the cast’s moulding.
During further doctor’s visits Beth was told Damian was okay but she thought otherwise and took him for more tests elsewhere.
At a different hospital Damian underwent x-rays, MRI and CT scans, the next morning Beth received the dreaded news that he may have cancer.
The family was referred to Addenbrookes Hospital and Stanmore Hospital bone specialists who confirmed Damian had Ewing’s Sarcoma bone cancer last September.
Damian is currently undergoing chemotherapy and the family is devastated by the amputation.
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Leah added: “The family are broken and I would love to help as much as I can to help them.”
She has started a GoFundMe fundraiser and Essex Pink Gloves Boxing is looking for women aged 17 and over to take part in eight weeks of training before a big fundraising fight night.
There are 20 spaces for the training programme and tickets to the event will cost £30 for standard tickets and £50 for V.I.P.
To donate to Leah’s fundraiser visit bit.ly/40RIzEv and for more information on the fight night contact organiser Tanya Redhead here bit.ly/3ZwnFtB.
