A WOMAN from Colwyn Bay has pleaded for donations to enable her to take five-year-old son who has fought cancer and sepsis on a trip to Florida.

Charlotte Castle, 30, is a single mum who gave birth to her only child, Henry, via IVF donor sperm in 2018.

So far, Charlotte said, Henry has had “life-threatening” sepsis six times, while he is due to complete four years of chemotherapy this summer, having been diagnosed with leukaemia.

Henry spent 18 months without returning home at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, and had to learn to walk again as a result of his illnesses.

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Now, thanks to Kids Cancer Charity and Give Kids The World, organisations based in the UK and America respectively, Henry has been offered a “celebration trip” to Florida to make the end of his cancer treatment.

But Charlotte has asked for £2,000 to fund flights, insurance and other expenses, and has set up a GoFundMe page where people can pledge donations - www.gofundme.com/f/henry-get-to-america-after-beating-leukaemia.

Charlotte said: “There have been three instances where it’s been really touch-and-go.

“He was back and forth to the doctors constantly. He went from really active to not wanting to do anything; it was like his love of life had gone.

“Henry woke up with a limp one morning – I thought that then something was really not right, and the next morning, he couldn’t stand up at all. It took him months to learn to walk again.

“It’s just been awful for a long time. I’ve had to be his carer more than his mum. But he’s never down; he’s always happy and excited.”

North Wales Pioneer: Henry spent 18 months in Alder Hey without returning home once, Charlotte said.Henry spent 18 months in Alder Hey without returning home once, Charlotte said. (Image: Charlotte Castle)

The trip to Florida includes two weeks’ accommodation and admission to all of the theme parks in Orlando.

Should they be able to afford the trip, Charlotte and Henry are due to fly to America on August 31.

She worked full-time as a consultant for a property developer, but has had to give up her job since Henry became ill.

The £2,000 target set on the GoFundMe page, she added, will cover the “bare minimum” needed.

He was discharged from Ysbyty Glan Clwyd last month, and will finish his course of chemotherapy at the end of July, but cannot be deemed in remission until five years have passed without his cancer symptoms returning.

Charlotte is also planning to hold a raffle in a few weeks’ time in a bid to raise more funds for the trip.

On the GoFundMe page, she wrote: “He’s had multiple admissions of over three months with only a week or two at home in-between.

“He has been on a high dependency unit on three different occasions. For three years, he was given total parenteral nutrition straight into his veins, but has recently improved enough to have feeds through a tube to his stomach.

“Despite all of this, Henry is the bravest, happiest boy. He radiates joy and is a delight to be around and is so loving, wanting to give cuddles to anyone he meets.”