A football-mad five-year-old from South Shields was delighted to start school full-time last week as he continues his recovery from a tumour his mum spotted in his eye when he was just ten months old.
Jacob Tulley was just a baby when his mum, Danielle Scott, discovered the tumour. His treatment has been successful - and thanks to chemotherapy, laser therapy and cryotherapy his eye was saved, too. Now, along with his family, Jacob is backing a Cancer Research UK campaign with retailer TK Maxx to help boost research into childhood cancer.
The shopping chain run's the Give Up Clothes for Good campaign, and with sister Katie, mum Danielle, stepdad Ollie, dad Josh and stepmum Sharna Jacob is encouraging people to donate pre-loved clothes and homeware to help raise cash for Cancer Research UK.
Mum Danielle explained how traumatic discovering Jacob's illness had been - she spotted a "flash" in his eye and immediately became concerned. . "It was like a cat’s eye in car headlights: now and again it would just flash. I was at my dad’s and Jacob was in the bath and my dad saw it.
"Jacob’s dad Googled it and straight away it came up with retinoblastoma. I thought I know it’s that, I could just feel it. The next morning, I got up, having had the worst sleep of my life and rang the doctor."
Jacob was quickly diagnosed and treatment started immediately at the RVI and hospital in Birmingham where he still attends check-ups, but mum said his tumour remained stable. His vision is affected, but manages by angling his head - and even plays football with special Edgar Davids-style goggles to protect him.
Danielle said: "Now it’s like a miracle, if you look at him, you would never have known he’s had anything wrong. He was so amazing through it all, he kept our hopes high and was never fazed by what he went through.
"He is our light in a dark place - he got knocked down, but he got up again. He is the most special, precious and amazing young boy that I’ve ever known. To the world he may just be one person but to me, he is the world.
"Obviously when we got the diagnosis, it was the absolute worst day of my life. I almost kind of blacked out through it all. It was like my brain has completely chosen to forget the things that happened that day."
The tumour is still visible in Jacob's eye, but Danielle wants her son to know it is never something he should be self-conscious about. She said: "I tell him he’s special, he’s got a twinkle in his eye."
Danielle said the family was backing the campaign for a simple reason. "It’s thanks to research that Jacob is here today," she said. "Jacob and I will be having a good clear out at home to find clothes and things to donate and we hope our experience will inspire others across the North East to do the same. Their unwanted items really could save lives."
Since 2004, TK Maxx has raised more than £40m by collecting pre-loved clothes which can then be sold in Cancer Research UK shops. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month runs through September.
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