RAFFI Starkowitz was just three years old when he suddenly became “unsteady”; on his feet.
The tot had previously been behaving and playing normally until nursery staff called his mum Nicky with worries that he was .
The parents rushed Raffi, from from Bushey, Hertfordshire,to Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, where his mum works, and then to Great Ormond Street Hospital.
While he was there, doctors diagnosed him with large cell anaplastic medulloblastoma – a rare and aggressive form of .
It mainly affects children and is known for spreading quickly through the brain and spinal cord, making it potentially life-threatening if not caught early
Raffi has since undergone to remove the large cancerous tumour, as well as a lumbar puncture to collect spinal fluid and check if the has spread,
He has also just begun six weeks of , where his dad, Neil, and Nicky will be taking some time off work to support him.
Meanwhile, close family friend Jamie Gross, who works with Nicky at Northwick Park, is taking on a 100k from London to Brighton to help fundraise for the family.
The money raised, which has surpassed £20,000, will go towards the financial burdens faced by Raffi’s parents from time off work, travel to Great Ormond Street, and medical expenses.
The 47-year-old added: “When you have had this horror moment where things have turned upside down, you need your care and attention to be on that.
“Not worrying about how you are going to cope financially – it’s going to be terrible.
“That’s when I came up with the idea.”;
The families each have two children at Hertsmere Jewish Primary School in Radlett and are members of the Bushey Synagogue community.
Jamie described how just a few weeks ago Raffi had been playing “like any other child, without a care in the world”; when the families were together.
He said that the heartfelt thanks and deep gratitude of himself and Raffi’s family goes out to everyone who has donated so far.
The Bushey resident added: “The number one thing we are hoping for is that he survives and he recovers.”;
The challenge, called Run for Raffi, will take place in just under a month with donations still being taken through GoFundMe, which – at time of writing – had already raised £20k of the £22k target.
