Joe is the 6 year old son of a very good friend of mine, and just after Christmas 2014 he was diagnosed with "Neuroblastoma - Stage 4" which is pretty nasty.

Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer that affects children. Around 90 children are diagnosed each year in the UK and stage 4 means that the cancer has spread to parts of the body that are some distance from where it started.

Joe is an adorable little boy who sometimes likes to go to school dressed as Batman or Spiderman. He adores "Buster" who comes to work in the office next door to mine, and they can often be found cuddled up together under one of the desks. See photo below.

At the time of writing this Joe has already had three of at least five chemoptherapy treatments to shrink his tumour. Three of the sessions last for 72 hours and the other two last a further 24 hours! Before and after each treatment Joe and his Mum have a two hour car journey. Not very nice when you are not feeling on top of the world! Treatments happen on a three weekly basis, but in between Joe spends quite a lot of time back in hospital in order to top up his immune system which is non-existant after each chemo treatment. After at least five lots of treatment there is the possibility of an operation to remove the tumour, but this is all before they can start on his bone marrow.

When Joe came to see me after his second session he was sporting a newly shaved head. His Mum decided that it was better to do this than for his parents and siblings to watch his hair fall out in clumps! It was then that I suggested to Joe that I shave my hair off so that that I could be like him. He seemed to think this would be a very good idea.

My chosen charity is the "Children With Cancer Fund (Polegate)". This is a local charity to us, whose main aim and hope, is to be able to grant the wishes of local children, and their families, who have or have had cancer.

CWCF have already provided help and support to both Joe and his family and it is for this very reason that they have asked that any money raised will go to this particular charity, so that many other families in the same situation can also benefit.

Please give generously.