Family hold fundraiser to thank Colchester team who cared for boy
12:00pm Thursday 4th August 2011
THE family of a lad who battled a succession of tumours have raised more than £1,200 for the community nurses who supported them.
Jack Thumwood, a former pupil at Philip Morant School, in Colchester, died in February 2010, aged 14, having suffered from a series of tumours since the age of two.
However, thanks to the support of the children’s community nursing team at Colchester General Hospital, he was able to spend his last months at home in Mersea Road, Colchester, with his family around him.
Mum Allison, 45, said: “Jack was diagnosed at two. Since that time, they have always been involved in Jack’s care.
“They made his life so much easier and reduced the amount of hospital visits he had.
“They provided the best palliative care for him, along with our GP, Dr Hickman, and consultant from the children’s ward, Angela Tillet.”
Jack had previously spent time at Little Havens Children’s Hospice, in Thundersley. But in November 2009, when medics realised his illness was terminal, he had the option to receive care at home.
Mrs Thumwood said: “Little Havens just wasn’t right for us. We wanted to care for him as much as we could.”
Equipment was set up at the family home to aid Jack’s care. Four nurses worked around-the-clock to look after him. Jack passed away three months later.
Speaking about her loss, Mrs Thumwood, who works for Colchester United, said: “Your life just changes. If you asked anyone who knew him, he was such a character.
“He was incredibly bright.
“An example of that was in 2006, when he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and had surgery and chemotherapy, and took his year six SATS tests.
“He was the only child who got all level fives. He was also a very funny young man. It is a massive loss.”
As their way of saying thanks, Jack’s dad Jim, 49, who works for the Territorial Army, teamed up with four soldiers from 36 Signal Squadron and Shelley Gould, who works with Mrs Thumwood. They were sponsored to take part in the Mersea Round the Island race.
The 12.5-mile run in June saw them raise £1,205. This week the money was handed over to the community nursing team.
Jack’s complex medical history began when medics