Loom to the Moon!

You may have seen a tweet or Facebook share about a campaign for a special boy – Loom to the Moon.

Over the last year my family has been through the most unimaginable heartache, watching my cousin’s gorgeous little boy Skye’s battle with an aggressive brain tumour. The journey through this tortuous time has been documented in their blog and, last week, Skye returned home for terminal care, with cousin Sally and and her husband Andrew devoting 24 hours a day to tend to his every need, along with a huge support network of family and friends.

Skye has always been an extraordinary boy. His vocabulary, his wit, his ability to understand situations that require a level of maturity far beyond the expectation of his mere 5 years.

Whilst undergoing the last round of hyperbaric chamber treatment in a desperate attempt to halt the progression of radio-necrosis – a devastating side effect of the combination of treatments he was given to try and save him – they came up with the idea that he was being sent to the moon, each time he entered the chamber.

Just like any normal 5-year-old he loves the latest craze of Loom Bands. Sally and Andrew are determined to raise funds for research into the treatment of childhood brain cancer, to help prevent future families going through the pain and suffering they are enduring. They have set up the charity Blue Skye Thinking to support the research into innovative ways to help children diagnosed have a better chance of survival and quality of life post treatment. They have been overwhelmed by the generosity of children and grown-ups who want to help their cause.

And this is where the Loom Bands come in. Skye would love to Loom to the Moon! They are attempting to set a new world record for the longest Loom Band chain that will reach to the moon. Every day parcels from all over the world arrive with notes and wonderful positive messages for Skye and we would love the BritMums community to come out in force to help them achieve their goal.

Time is of the essence. Watching Skye deteriorate is heartbreaking. He is now paralysed from the shoulders down and, every day, Sally and Andrew will be watching for further signs of this horrible disease taking hold.

Sally and I had our first sons just 6 months apart. My Sammy and Ollie, and her Skye and Jesse have been as close as Sally and I were growing up. It is unimaginable that our boys won’t continue to grow up together, sharing family holidays to our grandparents holiday home in Southbourne and performing Christmas shows, just like we did.

I look at my 5-year-old running around, learning to swim, and excited to start Year 1 at a new school, and it breaks my heart that Skye hasn’t had these precious experiences. You can’t explain to a 5-year-old why life is so cruel and unfair; all we can do is try to make the time we have with Skye as happy as possible. Skye brings so much inspiration and happiness to our lives and deserves the love of as many family, friends and strangers as possible to help him with his wish.

So please, make a loom band, share a photo and a message to Skye on Facebook or Twitter with Loom to the Moon’s Facebook page or Twitter if you don’t use Facebook, and then post it, along with a £1 coin, to Skye Hall, 59 Hendred Way, Abingdon, Oxford, OX14 2AW.

Every centimetre makes a difference, and every £1 will make a difference. Please your good deed for today.

Thank you
Lucy Heath is Sally’s cousin and a member of the BritMums community. Lucy blogs at capturebylucy.com and appreciates all the love and support from the blogging community for her family. Every positive message, every cm of loom band and donation makes a difference. Please share your photos on social media with the tag #loomtothemoon so we can raise even more awareness for this incredibly brave boy.