They say if you want to forget your troubles then do something nice for someone else and many families in Essex are doing just that. Here EMMA PALMER meets families who have put their own painful experiences to one side and channelled their energy into helping others

AFTER feeling powerless to help his 34-year-old son when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour, councillor Malcolm Buckley decided to do something positive – he raised £6,500 for vital brain surgery equipment.

The determined dad and senior Basildon councillor set about raising the cash by taking part in the annual Fun Walk organised by Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron and enticing his friends, fellow councillors and work colleagues to generously dip their hands into their pockets.

Christopher, of Basildon, came through life-saving surgery at the neurological ward at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, and is now recovering well. Although a vital piece of equipment – an Ojemann cortical stimulator – was unavailable when Christopher had his operation, Mr Buckley and his wife Sylvia, also a Basildon councillor, wanted to make sure the machine was available for patients in future.

The target has now been raised and the machine – which helps to guide brain surgeons during operations so more of the tumour can be removed – will be installed at the Queen’s Hospital soon.

Mr Buckley said: “Raising this money has given me a focus and has probably helped me deal with everything that has happened.

“You feel so helpless as a parent when your child becomes suddenly ill and when it’s something you can’t see, like a brain tumour, you struggle to understand it.

“It’s comforting to know this equipment will help other people with brain tumours. I look at it as something positive to come out something so devastating.”

 IN Wickford determined John and Sarah Drummond helped set up a new national charity Be Child Cancer Aware after their five year old son Ted – nicknamed “Super Ted” – beat leukaemia and a deadly bout of blood poisoning as a toddler.

Since then, the charity has sent out more than 2.5 million ‘cancer symptom’ cards across the UK which warn parents what signs to look out for in their children.

Another million are going out soon. The charity has also brought the ground-breaking ‘beads of courage’ programme for children in America to the UK, including to Basildon Hospital.

The scheme rewards children for their bravery and sees them receive a bead for every procedure they go through.

John, 44, said: “After watching what Ted went through, we knew we had to do anything we could to raise awareness to childhood cancer.

“We always said from day one if what we do can save the life of even one child then it’s worth it.”