Cancer boy inspires bike ride from Ewell to Brighton (From Your Local Guardian)

Cancer boy inspires bike ride from Ewell to Brighton

5:10pm Friday 27th November 2009

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The plight of a little boy with cancer has inspired five computer whizzkids to pedal all the way from West Ewell to Brighton.

The five from Bytes Software Services in Chessington Road took to their saddles after learning that a colleague’s little boy was suffering from a form of cancer.

Tommy Leach, four, was diagnosed with Burkitt like lymphoma in June this year. His mother Kathy works at Bytes and her colleagues decided they would do their bit to support cancer charities CLIC Sargent and the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign.

The five, Phil Ross, John Dwyer, Dan Krayenbrink, Chris Hibbert, and Rohan Robinson cycled the 60 miles to Brighton arriving wet, exhausted but triumphant.

They have already raised more than £3,000 and more sponsorship money is still coming in.

Kathy said: “Tommy has been in hospital, either at the Royal Marsden or Epsom, ever since he was diagnosed at the beginning of the summer.

“Thankfully he is back home with us now but his cancer treatment is continuing, and will do so until the new year.

“Being at the Royal Marsden is like a different world, it’s amazing how many children are suffering with cancer. The cost of cancer is unbelievable, we don’t know the true cost of Tommy’s treatment but potentially it runs into hundreds of thousands.

“Work colleagues have been very supportive through this difficult time, and these guys did a fantastic thing by setting themselves this 60-mile challenge.”

Cyclist Chris Hibbert says, “Hearing about Tommy has inspired us to get out there and do something. Any parent would find this situation challenging. Through the support of charities like CLIC Sargent and staff at the Royal Marsden and Epsom we know they have made a real difference. We just want to do our bit to help them.”

The Bytes cyclists have set themselves another and longer challenge. In the spring they intend to cycle from West Ewell to Manchester.

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