A terminally ill teenager has handed over his £1,000 life savings to help a six-year-old boy he has never met to beat cancer.
Rhys Langford, 19, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma but celebrated a year of being cancer free before suspicious tumours were spotted by his family.
When he learned his illness was terminal, he began to raise money. for Jacob Jones, six, to potentially receive treatment in America, even donating £1,000 of his own money.
Catherine Rhys, Rhys’s mother, is 38. She said that the boys come from Ebbw Vale in South Wales Valleys, but they have never met.
Rhys Langford (19) was diagnosed as having neuroblastoma. After a year, Rhys was cancer-free. However, his cancer returned. Rhys was then told that he was in terminal.
She said: ‘Rhys is bedridden now and he called me and asked me if I’d heard about Jacob, this little boy who was battling cancer again.
He said that he wanted to give some money to his mother. Six years old, he has been suffering from illness since the age of two. If someone could save him, I would be thrilled.
“He spoke about his sadness and asked him if money could be donated to help him return to America to receive more treatment.
After privately sending Jacob £1,000 from his savings, Rhys decided that he wanted to set up a fundraising page, which has already generated more than £5,500.
Catherine stated that Rhys had told her that there was nothing she could do to save the little boy.
She added: ‘Our hearts are breaking because we are losing our son but bursting with pride because considering his diagnosis he is thinking of other people.’
Writing on the fundraising page, Rhys said that one of his ‘last wishes’ is to help Jacob to fight the disease.
He wrote: ‘Reading about little Jacob and his own fight and his cancer relapse has really upset me.
Rhys then started fundraising for six-year-old Jacob Jones (pictured), who has cancer, to potentially receive treatment in America, even donating £1,000 of his own money
“I don’t know what I can do for you now, but it is one of my last wishes that I wish to make a difference and support Jacob in his fight against this terrible disease.
“I understand what these treatments and horrible drugs do to your body!” It’s hell.
“Jacob, now 6 years old, has been living with this illness his entire life. It shouldn’t be like this!
Jacob’s relatives are trying to raise funds again for his treatment. I have transferred £1,000 to Jacob’s family privately but its still not enough.’
Rhys spent 16 months fighting bone cancer osteosarcoma. He had surgery to remove bones from his hip and bum, as well as chemotherapy.
Before falling ill, Rhys was a fit teenager who worked as a labourer and was a black belt in the martial art Krav Maga.
Rhys heard that he beat the disease last August, but it would return to his body in December. He was then told that he was dying.