About Sebastian
In June 2001 at the age of 7, Sebastian Gates was diagnosed with a Wilms’
Tumour, a rare form of childhood cancer. Over the next two and a half years
he endured twelve operations, a stem-cell transplant, scores of chemotherapy
courses and radiotherapy. Sadly, Sebastian died on Christmas Eve 2003. Throughout
his illness, Sebastian showed remarkable courage and a maturity that belied
his nine years. Sebastian’s approach
to his cancer was always incredibly positive and a source of inspiration to
all who met him. Instead of focusing on himself, Sebastian tirelessly sought
opportunities to help others through their individual battles with this cruel
and indiscriminate illness.
Having raised the funds required for a much-needed refurbishment of the Children’s Cancer Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Sebastian turned his attentions to the plight of the families struggling to cope with a child suffering from a life-threatening condition. In the month before he died, Sebastian launched a new drive for his “Action Fund” to purchase a holiday home by the sea that would provide somewhere exclusively for families to spend precious time together, away from the hospitals and punishing treatment regimens that govern the lives of cancer patients.
Every year, more than one thousand children in the UK are diagnosed with some form of cancer. The demands of that diagnosis have a huge impact on the entire family, not just the patient. It invariably leads to a dramatic loss in family time together, inevitable emotional stress and fatigue affecting all members of the family and possible financial loss, as parents have to juggle work commitments with caring for a sick child. Our aim is to try to alleviate such pressures on families at a time when they may be at their lowest ebb; exhausted physically, emotionally and financially.