THE parents of a desperately ill toddler have revealed how a cancer battle has torn their family life apart.

Dedicated Chelbie Maxwell and Kyle Roberts face travelling hundreds of miles as their two-year-old son Eirwyn undergoes treatment for leukaemia.

The Fort William couple have moved more than 100 miles to be by his bedside at the Royal Hospital For Children in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, Eirwyn’s 10- month-old brother, Richard, is being cared for by family back in their home town.

The doting parents want to be at Eirwyn’s side throughout his treatment, but know the best place for Richard is with their family up north.

That means the tired and anxious parents, and their extended family, face a 216-mile round trip on a regular basis so they can see both boys.

Mum Chelbie said she would give anything to be home with both boys but added that everyone was in “the best possible place”.

She said: “It’s awful being away from Richard. He’s so little. It makes it so much worse. We are just so thankful to have so many people helping us.”

The couple became concerned about Eirwyn after he was lethargic and out-of-sorts last month.

They’d hoped it would be something minor. However their world fell apart when they were told their beautiful, blonde-haired boy had leukaemia.

The couple are committed to being with Eirwyn every step of the way but know that could involve a huge amount of travelling as he tackles the disease.

Chelbie, 21, said: “Eirwyn’s full treatment will be three years altogether.

“There will be four or five weeks in Glasgow and then we will have to bring him back to the hospital once or twice a week.

“We don’t know how long that will last. It will be a good few months at least.

“My gran and step-mum are looking after Richard while we are in Glasgow and friends have been going round to take him out during the day.

“Our family have brought Richard down to us and Kyle has gone back home.

“However we look at it, we are going to have a lot of travelling.”

Chelbie said she and Kyle, 24, were shocked by Eirwyn’s diagnosis. She explained: “It wasn’t like he was sick. He just wasn’t himself. He was just lying on the sofa and didn’t want to go out.”

Doctors suspected there might be more to Eirwyn’s lack of energy and carried out blood tests which led them to believe he might have leukaemia.

This was confirmed at the start of this month when he was sent for a bone marrow test at The Royal Hospital For Sick Children in Glasgow where he is now being treated.

Chelbie said: “He’d been in hospital three months before because of an ear infection. We half-expected the same thing. It was a really big shock when we were told he had cancer.”

Chelbie Maxwell (Chris Austin/ Sunday Post) — Shelbie Maxwell (Chris Austin/ Sunday Post)

Chelbie and Kyle have been at Eirwyn’s bedside since he arrived at the hospital in Glasgow.

The couple make sure one of them is with him at all times and Chelbie has spent every night there since they arrived three weeks ago. And they couldn’t be prouder of the way he’s dealt with it.

Chelbie said: “He’s a tough little boy and has taken every second of it in his stride.”

Little Eirwyn even celebrated his birthday at the hospital on Friday as his mum and dad tried to make the day as enjoyable as they could.

The couple have also been given a room to stay in at Marion’s House – a home from home provided by charity CLIC Sargent for the parents of sick children who have to travel long distances for treatment.

And friends and family have been fund-raising to help the couple with the considerable financial burden they face.

The costs have been made worse by the fact Kyle had been due to start a new IT job on the day Eirwyn was diagnosed.

He couldn’t take up the job plus help care for Eirwyn, meaning he had to turn it down. As such, the couple are both out of work at a time when they are facing bigger bills than ever.

Friends and family were quick to offer assistance but at first Chelbie and Kyle turned them down.

However, as the reality of the situation became clear they graciously accepted.

And the fund set up for them has already achieved half of its £5000 target.

Chelbie said: “A few friends had offered to help with money but we felt strange about it.

“Then one of my friends said there were lots of people asking her how they could help. We were really moved so we agreed. We have been really overwhelmed by how lovely everyone has been.”

Kyle added: “I didn’t realise just how many nice people there are in the town where we live.

“It’s really generous.”

To donate to the couple’s fund go to: www. gofundme.com/eirwyns-support-fund-2ukv4n8

Factfile

LEUKAEMIA is a cancer of the white blood cells.

Around 8100 people are diagnosed with it every year in the UK, including about 400 children.

Acute leukaemia is classified according to the type of white blood cells affected.

The two main types of white blood cells are lymphocytes, which fight viral infections, and myeloid cells, which fight bacterial infections, and the defend the body against disease and prevent the spread of tissue damage.

Approximately three out of four of childhood cases are acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

It can affect youngsters of any age, but is more common in children aged between one and four, and is more common in boys than in girls.

Many cancer treatments will cause side- effects, including hair loss, anaemia, loss of appetite and weight, nausea and vomiting.

A small number of children may also develop late side-effects, such as problems with puberty and fertility, a change in the way their heart works and a small increase in the risk of cancer later in life.

Experts predict that by 2035 half a million a year will be diagnosed with cancer