Eight-year-old with brain cancer spends Christmas helping other poorly children in Cornwall
Elliott donates toys to kids having to spend the festive season in hospital
Last updated 11th Dec 2020
Meet the eight-year-old boy from Cornwall who is battling brain cancer but is spending Christmas helping other poorly children.
Elliott Furse, from Gulval near Penzance, has spent the past two years donating toys to kids in hospital over the festive season.
He came up with the idea in 2018 after deciding he didn't want any presents himself, but wanted to help other children instead.
And Elliott's Christmas Appeal has been a success ever since.
"He absolutely adores Christmas, it's his favourite day of the year, I think it's the coming together of family, good food and the general experience of Christmas rather than the gifts, which as a parent makes you incredibly proud that he's think of others that way, especially as he was six.
Christian Furse, Elliott's dad
But this summer Elliott was diagnosed with a brain tumour and has spent the past four months having chemotherapy as well as learning to walk and talk again.
Having spent three months living in hospital himself, Elliott really wants to keep his annual toy appeal going.
"I think being in hospital, he's seen how difficult it is with Covid, that's still going to be a thing this Christmas, children when they're in hospital can usually have both parents visit, and siblings and grandparents, but there's going to be none of that this year.
"As with so many things Covid has been difficult, for everyone, but for us it meant only parents could visit him in a hospital at a time, and his siblings couldn't visit either, so all we had was waves across the street or hospital window that was three storeys up."
Christian Furse, Elliott's dad
His fundraiser has already smashed its target of £100, with over £2,000 being donated to the Just giving page so far.
You can find the fundraiser here.
His fundraising page reads: "Hi I'm Elliott and I'm 8 years old. In 2018 I wanted to donate my Christmas presents to those who might be spending time in hospital, it was a huge success and as a result I created Elliott's Christmas Appeal. In the past I've organises fundraiser days at school too, all to help poorly children.
"This Summer I was diagnosed with brain cancer, and have spent the past 4 months receiving treatment for my cancer and rehabilitation to help me learn to walk and talk again. Having experienced living in hospital for 3 months, I know how upsetting it can be to be in hospital, so I feel it's really important to keep the appeal going.
"I'm creating a Just Giving page, because people have asked to donate money towards the appeal, and this way I can shop online on their behalf.
"Thank you so much for reading, and Merry Christmas."