The family of a three-year-old with cancer have said they are "forever grateful" after a letter from a complete stranger arrived despite it not having their address on it. Morgan Ridler, the inspiration behind Morgan's Army Charitable Foundation, was diagnosed with a rare and complex form of cancer aged two in October, 2021.
After relapsing, his parents, Natalie and Matthew, from Swansea, have now been told his treatment is not working and the focus will move to palliative care. In a heartbreaking update shared this week they revealed that quality of life would now be the priority for Morgan, who led out the Wales team during last year's Six Nations match with England.
In a post shared on the Morgan's Army Facebook page on Thursday, dad Matt said the family had come home to find a cheque for £10 for the charity and a letter from an unknown person with the following written on the envelope: "Please Mr Postman, find Mrs Natalie Ridler somewhere in Swansea. Morgan her 4 yr old son has cancer. Please help."
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Matt said the family were "forever grateful" for the kind deed and also thanked "the posties who got it to us."
"After being out with the kids this morning, Natalie and I came home to mail, and this was with it," he said. "Inside was an amazing letter and a cheque for £10.00 for Morgan’s Army. I cannot decipher the name, but it was from a lady in the Caerphilly area. Please share this far and wide in the hope it reaches the sender and they know it reached us and our little charity is forever grateful. An amazing thank you to the posties who got it to us too."
Pre-diagnosis, Morgan's parents had noticed changes to his weight which were not matching up to his eating habits. He was later diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma. Mum Natalie previously told WalesOnline that doctors found that Morgan had a genetic condition which caused him to be at risk, but children had less than a one in a million chance of being diagnosed with the disease.
In a heartbreaking update shared on the Morgan's Army Instagram page, Matt said: "This is something I never wanted to write or would wish upon any other soul", before adding that Morgan's tumours had grown substantially and that his treatment was not working.
"We have both been asked to go to Cardiff on Friday and will be meeting Morgan’s oncologist, who, in short, will be telling us that no treatment has worked for Morgan and that he will be transferred to palliative and in due course end of life care," he wrote.
"Morgan was due to have more chemotherapy on Friday and we have been told that it’s our decision whether that goes ahead, but it is not working and Morgan’s quality of life should be the priority and to make him as happy and comfortable as we can.
"It has also been discussed where he should be when the time is appropriate, at home, in hospital or Ty Hafan and this isn’t something I could ever wish to comprehend. My little blue-eyed warrior has fought so so hard and I feel like my heart has been ripped out but I want him to have happy memories and not to wake each day in pain and have no quality of life."
The post added that neither Matt nor Natalie knew Morgan's prognosis and "want to give Morgan and Rhiannon happy memories, as well as us and want to take trips away, days out as far as Morgan’s health, time and money allow."
More than £20,000 has been raised via an online crowdfunding page to help the Swansea family, which also includes Morgan's younger sister Rhiannon, to create special memories together. You can find out more and donate here. Any unused donations will be given to Morgan's Army. It is the charity which Wales Women fundraised for at their Six Nations clash against England in Cardiff in April, where Morgan led the team out with his auntie, Wales lock Natalia John. The charity was set up to support families of children diagnosed with cancer in south Wales. You can find out more via their website.
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