Schools wear orange for boy with rare cancer

Six-year-old Sebastian Nunney's favourite colour is orange

About 30 schools and businesses have worn orange for the day in support of a six-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer.

Sebastian Nunney, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2020.

His family have been raising money to support his care and fund possible treatment abroad.

Gregg Nunney, his father, said: "He is a miracle, and as long as he keeps on surprising us, then there is no chance of us giving up the fight."

Gregg Nunney said the family were trying to give Sebastian the experience he missed out on while in hospital

Neuroblastoma is a rare, aggressive and complex cancer most common in children under five.

It is treatable on the NHS, but survival rates when relapses occur are poor.

Sebastian's family have raised more £80,000 of their target of £250,000 to fund treatment either in Europe or the USA and support his current care.

They are also hopeful he will be well enough to go on a clinical trial in the UK in January.

On Friday people were encouraged to wear orange as it is Sebastian's favourite colour, Mr Nunney told BBC Radio Northampton.

Sebastian's primary school, Brambleside in Kettering, had previously organised a 'wear orange day' in the summer, and the family invited other business and schools in Kettering and Corby to take part in the latest one.

Sebastian Nunney has been receiving treatment for neuroblastoma on the NHS

Mr Nunney said he and his wife had reduced their work hours and Sebastian now only goes to school two mornings a week.

"We had some news at the beginning of October that they saw something new on a scan that hadn't been there before, which kind of made us feel that we needed to really make the most of the time we had at that point."

Mr Nunney said the cancer was diagnosed when the six-year-old was taken to hospital in the summer of 2020 felling unwell.

He said: "That was the beginning of nearly six months of living in hospital, in which time he didn't have any contact with any other children.

"There was nothing to do, really. He was stuck in bed, he was in intensive care."

Recently the family have been able to take trips to places such as Harry Potter Studios and Legoland.

Mr Nunney said: "He's missed out on so much of just being a child that I think we need to give him those opportunities when we can."