Jack's battle against leukaemia (From Gazette Series)

Jack's battle against leukaemia

8:20am Wednesday 7th May 2008 in

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AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD boy from Falfield who bravely fought off leukaemia is celebrating one year in the all clear.

Jack Luscombe battled through three and a half years of lengthy treatment after he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2003.

Later this month, Jack, who is still in remission, is holding a fundraising event to mark a year off the treatment.

Jack and his sisters Gemma, aged 10, and Katie, aged six, together with help from their family, will host a table top sale in Falfield Village Hall on Saturday, May 31 (10-noon).

Money raised will be split between Clic Sargent and the Oncology Department at the Bristol Children's Hospital.

Jack's mother Helen said: "Jack has always put on a brave face for everything and we are immensely proud of him.

"It was such a long painful journey for him that we try to celebrate his recovery every step of the way.

"We were clearing out the loft in the house and instead of throwing it all out, we came up with the idea of selling it all off for charity.

"The whole family has now got involved and there will be a number of tables set up on the day. The event will mark a year since the end of his treatment."

Jack was diagnosed with the rare condition - which pushes cells out of the back bone, gradually weakening and fracturing the spine - after a painful fall.

X-rays showed he had leukaemia in the marrow of his spine and Jack, who was just four at the time, faced a minimum of three years' intense treatment.

He dropped out of school for treatment and his mother took a career break to care for him.

Now in the all-clear, Jack will be monitored for five years to ensure the condition has completely gone but, importantly, family life has returned to normal.

A diary of Jack's recovery has been compiled and put on a website.

Helen said: "We went through so much that we wanted to tell our story to others. We hope our story can offer hope to any other family hit by the condition."

The table top sale will also include a raffle and refreshments.

To see Jack's website visit www.jackluscombe.bravehost.com.