Anchorsholme seven year-old on a mission to raise money for devoted dad fighting cancer

A seven year-old boy from Anchorsholme is taking part in daily challenges to raise money for holistic therapies to help his dad battle stage four cancer.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Lee Howick, a 32 year-old asbestos building surveyor from Dudley Avenue, North Shore, was rushed to hospital on March 10 after his partner Stacey Richardson, 31, found him having a seizure in the bathroom at home.

Heavily pregnant with their now eight-week old daughter Dorothy, Stacey managed to put Lee in the recovery position and call an ambulance, which took him to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for a CT scan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The CT scan revealed a tumour on Lee's brain, and after a full body scan he and his family received the devastating diagnosis that it was cancer.

James-Lee Howick, seven, is raising money for his dad Lee, who has stage four cancer.James-Lee Howick, seven, is raising money for his dad Lee, who has stage four cancer.
James-Lee Howick, seven, is raising money for his dad Lee, who has stage four cancer.

The cancer started in his bowel, had spread to his liver, lungs and brain, and had reached stage four.

Stacey, a sister on Blackpool Vic's neonatal unit, said: "Lee had been having issues with his bowels for a while, and he was hospitalised in October 2019 with suspected diverticulitis, which meant his bowel had narrowed and had blockages. He had biopsies then, but they came back negative.

"He was due to have an operation in April, but obviously he had a seizure the month before, so we found out it was cancer.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It came as a massive shock to us all. It completely changed our world and turned it upside down. He's such a positive person, he always wants to help other people and never wants to hear anything negative. So he doesn't want to know his life expectancy, he just knows that the cancer is at stage four."

James-Lee's mum Dee is helping him with his challenges at home to raise money for holistic therapies for his dad.James-Lee's mum Dee is helping him with his challenges at home to raise money for holistic therapies for his dad.
James-Lee's mum Dee is helping him with his challenges at home to raise money for holistic therapies for his dad.

"We couldn't have got through this without our families and our understanding employers. Lee is so proud of James-Lee for wanting to raise money, it's been so tough for him to be away from him for so long."

Mr Howick, who also coaches Bispham Juniors under eights Lasers football team, had two tumours removed from his brain at Royal Preston Hospital and now has an ileostomy stoma. He still has multiple lesions on his liver, a tumour too small to operate on in his brain, and two tumours in his lungs.

He began chemotherapy at Blackpool Vic's oncology department two weeks ago, with visits planned every fortnight for the next eight weeks, before doctors will review the next stages of treatment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Now seven year-old James-Lee Howick, Lee's son from a previous relationship, has decided to raise money for holistic therapies to help his dad while he goes through chemotherapy.

Lee Howick, his partner Stacey Richardson and James-Lee Howick.Lee Howick, his partner Stacey Richardson and James-Lee Howick.
Lee Howick, his partner Stacey Richardson and James-Lee Howick.

James-Lee, a year three pupil at Carr Head primary school in Poulton, decided to tackle 33 challenges a day to raise money for his "idol."

His mum Dee Laurie, 29, encouraged him to film his challenges from their Lyddesdale Avenue home in Anchorsholme, and said she is "so proud" of him for helping his dad.

"We didn't tell James-Lee at first that it was cancer because we were worried about upsetting him," Dee said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"But he saw a children's programme on Netflix about a girl who had leukaemia, so I felt like that might soften the blow a bit to break the news to him.

Lee and Stacey welcomed their daughter Dorothy just three days after his cancer diagnosis.Lee and Stacey welcomed their daughter Dorothy just three days after his cancer diagnosis.
Lee and Stacey welcomed their daughter Dorothy just three days after his cancer diagnosis.

"He already knew his daddy was very poorly because he'd visited him in hospital, but I only told him three weeks ago that he has cancer. When I told him, he said to me, 'my daddy is strong, I know he can fight it.'"

"He hasn't cried at all, he's just got on with it, and when I suggested raising money for his dad he was really up for helping. I think we were more panicked about the diagnosis than he was.

"I just cried when Lee told me. We both strive to be the best parents we can be while co-parenting James-Lee. I can't imagine parenting without him, he's an amazing dad."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

James-Lee, along with four of his school friends, will take part in 33 challenges every day, from sit ups to ball throws in hopes of raising money for holistic therapies to help his dad alongside chemo.

The therapies include lymphatic drainage massage, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which aim to help remove the fluid from lymph nodes and drive oxygen to cells and tissue respectively.

You can donate to James-Lee's Go Fund Me page here.

Related topics: