The community in Aberystwyth have united to raise funds for a boy’s third battle with leukaemia.

Rufus Palmer is just 11 years old but is facing his third fight with blood cancer after a sudden relapse this summer.

In response, his old primary school in Commins Coch is hosting a fundraising day this Friday 14 November, with all proceeds going to support Rufus and his family.

Rufus’ younger brother Noah’s nursery, Little Angels, will also be donating some of the money raised from their Children In Need fundraising raffle.

Rosie Palmer, Rufus’ mum, said: “It’s so overwhelming in the most wonderful way - it feels like people are holding us up.

“We feel really loved and feel Rufus is really loved and Noah as well.

“Even though Noah’s eight now, the nursery hasn’t forgotten us.

“They care about their children and the families a lot.”

Rufus was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at age three, getting the all clear in 2021 after 3.5 years of chemotherapy.

Eighteen months later in 2022 he relapsed - after a bone marrow transplant he was again in recovery, returning to school and even taking a Wish Trip to Disneyland Paris.

However at the end of this summer, his mum noticed two enlarged lymph nodes on his neck and jaw, followed by swelling in his eye.

To treat the leukaemia which has returned in his cerebrospinal fluid and in a mass around his eye, he needs a new type of treatment called CAR-T therapy from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Rosie has taken long-term leave from her job to become Rufus’ primary carer, meaning the family is about to take on the many trips to London on a single income.

To help pay for the family’s many expenses, including fuel, central London accommodation costing £4,500-6,000 a month and the estimated £700 extra costs families with children with cancer face, Rosie’s brother set up a fundraising page aiming to raise £5,000.

In seven days, the GoFundMe page raised over £6,000 from local community support and is still growing.

Rosie said: “It’s like living in this horrendous bubble.

“This time just feels scarier than ever; it’s knocked the wind out of us.

“Having the fundraiser is a reminder of the good that is out there.

“You do feel very isolated when these things happen - you don’t know where to look, and then people come to your rescue. I’m blown away.”

Rufus has already begun his treatment, starting with chemotherapy and has since been down to London to have his T-cells harvested as the first part of the CAR-T treatment.

Rosie, a former customer service advisor, said: “Rufus is doing really well considering everything he has to deal with.

“He’s just had a couple of weeks off chemo and is feeling pretty well with a nice break.

“This means we’ve been able to see our family without worrying too much about his immunity.”

Donate on their GoFundMe page here - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rufuss-fight-against-leukaemia-cart-therapy