Boy to lose leg in heartbreaking fight to save his life as he moved hundreds of miles to Manchester
15.06.2022 - 15:45
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A family from Devon have had to relocate to Manchester in order to treat their nine-year-old boy's bone cancer. Jack Middleton, a young motocross star, is being cared for in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.
Now, the Middletons will have to self-fund a lifesaving operation in Austria for Jack, which is not available on the NHS. The Brixham lad will also lose a leg but doctors are hopeful the pioneering drug therapy will save his life.
The family already have raised £100,000 for the surgery - but need to find another £150,000 to buy a special prosthetic leg so Jack can continue his motocross racing. On top of all this, Jack contracted both MRSA and Covid while he underwent chemo and radiotherapy and lost all his hair, DevonLive reports.
READ MORE: Families are being given £60 vouchers to use in ASDA, Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons, Lidl, M&S and Sainsbury's
Jack is one of three brothers, along with Harry, six, and 18-month-old baby Jake. His younger brother Harry has also chosen to shave his head to support his brave sibling.
Still, parents Paul and Stacey Middleton have been knocked sideways as they fight to care for their boy. Mobile hairdresser Stacey's successful wedding business has ground to a halt and gas engineer Paul is now working in Manchester. Now a decision has been made to fly Jack over to the Medaustron Clinic in Wiener, Austria, where his leg will be removed below the knee on July 4. Dr Piero Fossati, a pioneering cancer specialist, is hopeful that revolutionary drug therapy will save Jack's life.
Paul said: "All I wish is that I could swap places with him. The children's hospital have been brilliant but resources are capped. I have spoken to the doctor in Austria and he's very hopeful that we are