Member of the Month October 2024
jack Gyde
Our Member of the Month this month is Jack Gyde.
"Jack loves collecting his beads, they are hanging in our hall so everyone can see them when they walk in the front door"
In mid-January 2024, Jack began experiencing a limp and leg pain. After multiple visits to the GP and A&E, doctors discovered a mass above his right kidney. Following further scans and tests, his family received devastating news: Jack was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer that affects around 100 children each year in the UK.
Jack's treatment journey has been long and intense. So far, he has undergone eight rounds of induction chemotherapy, a stem cell harvest, tumour resection surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, and 12 rounds of radiotherapy. He is now in the middle of a six-month course of immunotherapy, which his family hope will bring him to the end of his treatment by next spring. After this phase, they aim to pursue maintenance therapy to help prevent a relapse.
Throughout everything, Jack has been incredibly brave and resilient. Despite missing much of his first year of school due to treatment, he has recently started returning part-time, a huge milestone that makes his family incredibly proud.
"Jack's resilience and courage has been amazing to watch over the last 9 months. Even with everything he goes through he still manages to smile, he is the bravest person I know. Collecting beads has helped Jack during some difficult times, his favourite beads are his glow in the dark ones.We don't know what the future looks like but Jack will keep collecting his beads. One day he will tie a last knot in the string and we'll hang them as a reminder of all he went through ❤️"
