“A brave schoolboy who is battling leukaemia has received thousands of cards from well-wishers across the globe including Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr.
Joshua Johns needed cheering up after being told he would have to miss a dream holiday to Disneyland because of treatment for his condition.
Devastated at missing out on the holiday, eight-year-old Joshua’s uncle decided to turn to Facebook to cheer the youngster up.
After asking well-wishers to send him a postcard, the message went viral and the schoolboy was inundated with 3,800 messages of support from more than 90 countries, through the post.
Even stars including Ironman’s Robert Downey Jr, former Doctor Who actor David Tennant and ex-Coronation Street actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, have all sent him one.
Joshua, from Langworthy in Salford, has now been asked to start Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life at Heaton Park, sounding the horn to set off thousands of runners on Sunday.
Joshua was diagnosed with his condition in March last year.
Joshua’s mum Nikki, who has three other children, told the Manchester Evening News : “We’d been due to go to Disneyland Paris last Easter and we had to gently explain we couldn’t go because Joshua had only just started his treatment.
“He was a bit miffed but we thought we’d be able to go to Scotland in the summer so things didn’t seem so bad.
“Unfortunately, doctors informed us that taking him on holiday wouldn’t be possible during such crucial treatment.
“It was about this time Joshua got sent some homework from school asking him to bring in a postcard from his holidays and that’s how it all began.
“The postcards keep coming. Some just say ‘Postcard for Josh’ and still arrive.
“We’ve had over 3,822 postcards from 97 countries and we keep them all filed in boxes.”
Joshua was diagnosed with cancer after his worried parents Nikki and Jason suspected something was wrong when he suffered pains in his legs and back and having mild nose bleeds.
He has now entered the next phase of his treatment.
The youngster has regular blood tests and check-ups to make sure that the cancer doesn’t come back as well as oral chemo tablets every day and a lumbar puncture once every three months to check there are no cancer cells in his spinal fluid.
The family are thrilled to be opening the flag ship race, which Nikki will also be running, on Sunday.”
Source: Mirror.co.uk
