"On 17th April, Toby should be celebrating his 18th birthday. Each day is still surreal and so hard without him. Jason, Jesse and I are extremely grateful to Ben Saunders Foundation for letting us stay in one of their holiday homes, near one of Toby’s favourite bike parks.

On 1st March 2021 Toby told us he had found a lump on his chest and later that month he was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma. I am not sure the reality really hit then. I had just recovered from breast cancer treatment during the first lockdown so we just stayed in our bubble focusing on Toby’s treatment and recovery.

Toby’s treatment was at the JR. He had chemo, three operations in a week (one to remove the tumour and two to remove blood clots which formed) and finally a 6 week ‘Christmas shift’ at Manchester Proton Beam Centre. Even when Toby caught COVID and we couldn’t spend Christmas together as a family we were just focused on Toby finishing his treatment on 7th Jan 2022.

Once home, Toby wanted to get back to his active life quicker than his body was willing. He played some badminton and got some hours at Banjo cycles where he loved working. However, he was tired, had an achy leg and a small lump on his side.

After three weeks of being back in either the RBH or the JR (and less than two months after the end of his treatment) we were told the cancer had spread down his lefthand side and we had the devastating news he had ‘months not years’. During the shock of this news, we set about ordering Toby a provisional driving license and passport, and compiling a wish list comprising of travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Heartbreakingly, months soon became days, which he then fought for a few weeks! After a round of chemo and about 10 days at home, a bleed meant he was blue lighted to RBH and from there he was moved to a hospice with the aim of getting his pain under control. His wish list was rewritten to involve family, friends and activities coming to the hospice (like his Make A Wish). On good days he was able to go out for a couple of hours; come home, watch his brother play rugby or go for a meal. Toby was a police cadet who had always wanted to be in the force and he was able to spend the afternoon at the police training centre. During his time in the hospice, the cancer spread extremely quickly and Toby passed away on 13th May 2022.

Toby was always so positive and brave throughout, and was a true inspiration to those who knew him."