A fundraiser for a brave teenager who was told that he up to a year left to live has hit a mammoth £60k in just one day.
The Manchester Evening News reported on Monday (June 19) how 'adventurous' Arnold Chappin, 13, had suddenly been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and told he likely had between six and 12 months left to live.
His heartbroken mum Ruth told of the moment she lay in bed with Arnold, also known as Arnie, as he asked her: "Am I going to survive?" before she truthfully told him the devastating news.
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After a number of tests and scans, the 13-year-old was diagnosed with Brain Stem Glioma last Wednesday (June 14). He had been taken to doctors after he began limping, losing his balance and struggling to use his left hand to put his socks and shoes on.
Parents Ruth and Brett, along with Arnold and his siblings George, 20, Stella, 18, Henry, 15 and Ivan, two, are desperate to move from Bedfordshire back to Manchester, where Ruth is originally from, and create a final year of unforgettable memories with Arnold and loved ones, a fundraiser was shared to raise money and make it a reality.
Although he will start radiotherapy, his health is expected to deteriorate and eventually leave him wheelchair bound and unable to eat or speak.
"I want to be able to let him experience as many things as he can, but I don't know how fast he's going to deteriorate," Ruth said. "We want to make sure this is the best year of his life, surrounded by family."
The GoFundMe, started by Ruth's brother Samuel, quickly amassed thousands of donations and has already shot up to over £60,000 in just one day with floods of people leaving heartwarming well wishes.
Speaking previously to the M.E.N, Ruth emotionally recalled the moment that she lay beside Arnold in the hospital bed and told him the devastating news.
"Once we found out the news and told him he had cancer, he kept acting questions. He knew how serious it was and picked up on that. We tried to be positive in front of him, but it's impossible," she said.
"I was lying in the hospital bed early in the morning last Friday and and asked me, 'am I going to survive mum?' I knew I had to tell him the truth. I looked at him and said no, you're not, and he just broke down crying.
"I told him he wouldn't be on his own and we would be with him every step of the way. I've been blown away by the way he's handled it all.
"You have to just to try and carry on as much as you can. You have to try to forget about it all for a few minutes and pretend it's not really happening.
"He is so courageous. I feel like he has taught me how to live life to the fullest. He's so positive and full of energy and enthusiasm for life."
