%20on%20our%20Walk%20round%20the%20Lake%20-%203rd%20June%202007-1.jpg)
Jack In The News
Thursday 8th May 2008 - As reported in the Thornbury Gazette
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.
8:20am Wednesday 7th May 2008
Thursday 31st May 2007 -
As reported online in the Thornbury Gazette, Thursday 31st May 2007
WHEN 7-year-old Jack Luscombe was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2003 his, and his family's, life was turned upside down.
Facing months away from school and regular painful hospital treatments Jack's family was forced to make sacrifices to help him through his recovery.
Yet three years on, Jack is close to being given the all clear and family life is gradually returning back to normal.
"Jack had been playing down the local village with his grandmother in 2004 when he stumbled, fell and hurt his back. That's when it all started," said Jack's mum Helen Luscombe. "He was then constantly getting back problems and it was not until we took him for an x-ray it came up he had leukaemia in the marrow of his spine - We were devastated." Jack, just four-years-old at the time, faced intense hospital treatment for a minimum of three years. He had a rare condition which was pushing cells out of his back bone, gradually weakening and fracturing spine - causing severe pain. The diagnosis was about to transform his Falfield family's life. Helen said: "Jack's treatment was prolonged and intense. He was off school for a long time and needed someone at home to stay with him. "I had to take a career break from being a nurse and any family holidays or outings were called off. It was a major set back for the family, especially Jack's sisters. "But it was something we were all determined to do in order to give our son the best support we could. " Three years on, the family - it seems - have made it. Jack is almost through his leukaemia treatment and is at a 95% chance of getting the all clear. After his final treatment, this week, he will be monitored for five years to ensure the leukaemia has completely gone. Meanwhile his family, like him, can finally start getting life back on track. Helen said: "It has been a massive few years and I can not believe we are nearly through the treatment. "Jack has always put a brave face on throughout and we are immensely proud of him. "When outside you could not tell he was suffering, it was only when he came indoors he let it sometimes show. "We now want to start doing family things again; booking holidays, taking time off together and most importantly not having to worry about daily tablets or hospital visits." The strength in unity of the family is all too clear to see. Just last week Helen and two of Jacks sisters, Gemma, aged 9, and Sophie, aged 15, ran the Race for Life event in Bristol to help raise money for cancer research. They want to celebrate Jack's recovery and give something back for all the help he has received. Helen says she now wants to share the family's ordeal with the public in an upcoming web-site. Helen said: "We have been through so much that we now want to tell others'. "When we received the news of Jack's illness we did not know where to turn and where life was going to take us. "Now hopefully people won't be so lost if they find out the same sad news we did." The website will be on soon at www.jackluscombe.bravehost.com. See next week's Gazette for feature and photos 9:00am today
bravenet.com