Thursday 12th April 2018 was the date I sat in a room and was told that my son Eddie, age 6 had a brain tumour. These things happen to other people and now they were happening to us, to Eddie my little boy who was so fit and well.

1 week prior and completely unrelated Eddie went into hospital for an MRI to check the status of an ear operation which had taken place the previous year. The following day his consultant called us to say that we needed to come in ASAP to discuss Eddie's MRI. Instantly we thought there was an issue with his ears and wanted to know what the problem was. Never did we expect to hear the news that we received.

Eddie was diagnosed with a benign pilocytic astrocytoma brain tumour which had grown on his brainstem. Unfortunately due to the position of his tumour the surgeon was not able to fully remove the tumour through risk of causing possible damage to Eddie's brain. 2 weeks after being diagnosed Eddie went on to have a 6 hour operation at GOSH to remove as much as the surgeon could access without causing any damage to the brain.

On the 31st May 2018, Eddie started an 18 month chemotherapy plan at GOSH which was aimed at containing Eddie's tumour and stopping it from growing any further.

None of this journey has been easy for Eddie, I've lost count the amount of times my wife and I have had to listen to Eddie screaming at us and the nurses because of the pain he's had to endure. I remember at the very beginning of his treatment when he was breaking down in tears at having to push his chemo trolley through the ward as he felt that everyone was staring at him, and the time he woke early one morning crying in his room because his hair was starting to fall out and us having to answer the question as to why this was happening to him. Eddie's had to endure 66 chemotherapy treatments, over 100 blood tests and 12 transfusions because at the time his body didnt have what it needed to recover and needed the help of a transfusion.

I had never stepped foot inside GOSH until Eddie's diagnosis and it's a place which puts everything into perspective. I've met some incredible families whose lives were perfect one day and shattered the next by their child's diagnosis. I've met children only 6 days old who are diagnosed with cancer to children who spend months on ends without leaving the hospital because of the chemo their having to endure and the pain their families are going through, having to sit and watch their child suffer when there is absolutely nothing they can do to help them. Aside from the sadness at GOSH, there is always a nurse to put a smile on your face, to make Eddie laugh and to make the days at the hospital that little bit brighter. I feel incredibly lucky to have such a fantastic hospital on our doorstep. From the moment you arrive it feels safe and familiar and filled with people who care very much about the job that they do and the patients that they treat.

On Monday 11th November 2019, Eddie rung his bell and celebrated the end of his treatment with a game of bowling and a large pepperoni pizza.

So myself and 5 friends are cycling from London to Paris to raise money for GOSH. Any donations that I receive will of course be appreciated and I hope that amongst us 'Lycra Lads' we can donate a good amount to the hospital as a thank you for every single thing they've done, and continue to do for Eddie and all the other children that need their help.

Kevin (Eddie's dad)