A couple coming to terms with the loss of their seven-month-old son are full of praise for the outpouring of love and support they have received from the people of Keswick.
Matt Hall and his partner Amy Walsh have also been bowled over by the generosity of local residents following a fund-raiser by a town centre take-away cafe in memory of Rory, who lost his fight for life last year after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Proceeds from the sale of cupcakes at the Relish cafe, on Market Square, had raised more than £700 for the charity CLIC Sargent which helped Matt and Amy, who live at Storms near Keswick, through the ordeal.
The bank holiday weekend fundraiser was organised by the cafe owners Alison and David Lamont, whose decorated cupcakes went down a storm with customers.
Matt and Amy now have another child called Finn, who is bringing joy into their lives as they rebuild.
“We just want to emphasise how grateful and overwhelmed we are at everybody’s love and support for us and for Rory – especially Alison and David,” said Amy.
“The money raised makes such a life-enhancing difference to families at the very worst of times,” she added.
Amy gave birth to Rory in May 2019 and just four-and-a-half months later, he was referred for an MRI scan by medics at Bristol Eye Hospital after developing what the couple believed was a lazy eye.
The scan quickly revealed that Rory had a cancerous tumour on his brain stem.
As a result of the intensity of his chemotherapy treatment, Rory contracted veno-occlusive disease which subsequently led to multiple organ failure and he died on January 11, 2020.
CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity.
