In memory of Connor Powell - Ewan’s fundraiser

In memory of Connor Powell, aged 12, who very sadly left this world and joined the afterlife on 13th November 2022, just less than a year after his Leukaemia diagnosis.

My son Ewan aged 14 wants to do something in memory of Connor that would make him happy. So he is raising funds to help buy as many projector lights as he can for the bays on the Oncology Wards at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This will help make the children’s stay a little more peaceful and restful.

Ewan met Connor on the oncology ward at Birmingham Children’s Hospital a year ago when they were both receiving treatment for cancer. They bonded over their love of squishmallows, plushie octopus toys, Star Wars, Grogu, love of gaming and Pokémon! All things that gave them comfort during their difficult treatment.

Connor is an amazing boy, so mature and caring of others. Even during Connor’s last days at home, he wrote letters to his friends, leaving teddies and reassuring them he is going to the afterlife and will always be around to see them. He left very specific instructions for his mom to get a Sandy coloured dog and call it Sandy (naturally!) to make sure she went for walks to help look after herself. Always thinking of others and ensuring they were okay.

Spending large amounts of time in hospital receiving gruelling treatment is very hard going for anybody, but is something a child should never have to experience. You have no control over anything. Connor was very proactive in maturely ensuring his views and needs were heard to help minimise the anxiety created by the intrusive aspects of hospital life. I am sure his suggestions and ideas will continue to help other children in hospital receiving cancer treatment. In particular Connor found the constant beeping of machines, regular observations, people walking in to his cubicle, and being disturbed all through the night very difficult. To help make his space more comfortable and relaxing, Connor had a projector light that beamed soft coloured lights and stars on to the ceiling in his hospital room and he played therapeutic music. Ewan wants to do something that would make Connor happy. So with Connors mom and the oncology ward, it was decided that raising money to buy projector lights for the rooms to help children during their treatment, is something we believe Connor would have wanted.

My son Ewan was diagnosed with a brain tumour in June 2021. Whilst his scans are currently clear, for which we are extremely grateful, 10 hours of surgery, 6 weeks of radiotherapy and 9 months of chemo, has resulted in Ewan being left with many lifelong disabilities. So Ewan has set himself a challenge to help raise money to buy the projectors for the oncology ward. He will not use his wheelchair at school for the whole of December . Ewan suffers with left sided weakness and ataxia which affects his balance, so he can’t walk unaided and gets fatigued very quickly. When he arrives at school, he will walk from the car using his tripod stick and not take his wheelchair with him. School have designated pit stops where Ewan can take a seat and rest en route to his classroom! This may not sound like a huge challenge but the amount of concentration alone to do something as simple as walking, that we don’t even realise we are doing is exhausting in itself for Ewan.

We are not asking for large donations, we would rather lots of people make small donations of even just £1. The challenge will run until schools break up for Christmas so we will have time to purchase the projectors and deliver them to the oncology ward for the children and teenagers to enjoy over the Christmas period.

Please donate to help bring a smile to a child suffering from cancer this Christmas, and in memory of Connor’s caring giving nature.

Wishing you a happy and peaceful Christmas.