Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Emily Hall & Rosaleen Fenton

Terminally-ill teen donates his life savings to help six-year-old beat cancer

A terminally-ill teen has handed his life savings to a six-year-old boy he's never met who is also fighting the disease.

Incredible Rhys Langford was diagnosed with the bone cancer osteosarcoma in October 2020 when he was just 18 years old.

He had 16 months of chemotherapy but was recently told that the cancer has returned. Doctors say that he could have as many as six months left, but it could be as few as three.

After learning his condition was terminal, Rhys, 19, started fundraising to help little Jacob Jones, and even donated £1,000 of his own cancer-fighting fund.

Rhys Langford, 18, with his little brother Charlie, nine (Triangle News)
Jacob Jones, six, from Wales, who is fighting neuroblastoma. (Triangle News)

Get the news you want straight to your inbox. Sign up for a Mirror newsletter here

Now the boys' families are in touch, with Jacob's grandmother Dawn simply saying: "What a wonderful person Rhys is for doing this. We are completely overwhelmed."

Rhys said: "I know nothing can be done for me now, but as one of my many last wishes I would like to help Jacob and help him fight this awful disease."

The boys live in the same town of Ebbw Vale, Wales, but had never met while Jacob has been fighting neuroblastoma - cancer of the nerve cells.

After being given the all-clear, a new lesion recently appeared on Jacob's liver and his family - who are waiting for a biopsy to be performed - fear his disease has returned.

Rhys has donated £1,000 in savings for Jacob's treatment (Langford family/MEDIA WALES)

In a heartbreaking last GoFundMe plea, Rhys said he wanted his final gift to be to help little Jacob get better.

His mother Catherine Langford said on the site that her son had given her a message to kick off the fundraising.

She also told the Jones family: "Rhys' words were if they can't save me I would like to help save this little boy Jacob.

"We as a family are devastated, but are so proud of Rhys and what he is doing given his own terminal prognosis.'

Rhys astounded his friends and family (Triangle News)
Jacob's family are raising money for treatment in America (Triangle News)

In the GoFundMe post Rhys says: "As many of you know I started my cancer journey when I was 18! October 2020 I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

"I went through 16 months of intensive chemotherapy, limb salvage surgery, immunotherapy, physiotherapy, many infections, two blood clots, internal bleeding, blood and platelet transfusions - I have lost count of and the list goes on!

"In November 2021 I started to get sick again, ended up with sepsis and a massive blood clot in the femoral vein.

"I spent nearly five weeks in hospital again, underwent further tests, MRIs, a CT scan etc...to be told on 4th January this year my cancer has come back and has spread very quickly to my lungs, leg, hip, groin, back and bum area and now there is nothing more that can be done for me.

Rhys celebrated a year of being cancer-free before his it returned (Triangle News)
The boys are from the same South Wales Valleys town of Ebbw Vale (Triangle News)

"I am dying! Reading about little Jacob and his own fight and his cancer relapse has really upset me. "I know nothing can be done for me now, but as one of my many last wishes, I would like to help Jacob and help him fight this awful disease.

"I know what the treatments and awful drugs do to your body! It's hell.

"Jacob is now six and has been fighting this disease most of his life. It should not be this way!

"Jacob's family are looking to raise money again for treatment.

"I have transferred £1,000 to Jacob's family privately but it's still not enough. Please help me, help Jacob."

Jacob has been in and out of the hospital with cancer since around his second birthday.

His parents Alwyn and Emma raised thousands of pounds for experimental treatment and Jacob was found to be cancer-free in 2019.

But it now appears Jacob's cancer has returned after a new lesion was found on his liver.

A message on the lad's Facebook page says the Jones family are overwhelmed by Rhys' gift.

It says: "We have had a fantastic donation of £1,000 from a wonderful person called Rhys, this 19-year-old has only a few months to live due to cancer returning and yet he read Jacob's story and his one wish is to donate some of his money to help.

"God bless him. Our thoughts and love go out to this young man - so thank you Rhys from Jacob and all of his family and from Jacob's Fight team."

Jacob's nan Dawn Jones said of Rhys' gift: "We as a family cannot thank Rhys enough.

"Here is a young man who has not long to live and yet he read Jacob's story and wanted to help.

"He has said that he cannot be saved so he wanted to help save Jacob - what a wonderful, compassionate young man.

"We are heartbroken and sorry for him and his family but we will never forget what he has done for Jacob."

To donate to Rhys' fundraiser for Jacob click here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.