Team Robert is ready for Southend Bikeathon (From Southend Standard)

Team Robert is ready for Southend Bikeathon

9:00am Saturday 1st September 2012 in News By Michelle Archard

A LITTLE boy who has beaten leukaemia twice is the inspiration driving a team to take part in the Southend Bikeathon.

Seven-year-old Robert Hucker was first diagnosed with the blood cancer in 2008, when he was almost four.

He underwent more than three years of chemotherapy, finally finishing his treatment in February this year.

However, he sadly relapsed at the end of March with it affecting his bone marrow and central nervous system.

After five months of intensive chemotherapy, he is now in remission. His mum Heather, 39, dad Ian, 42, and grandmother Catherine Hucker, 70, are taking part in tomorrow’s Bikeathon in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Mrs Hucker, of Bellevue Road, Southend, said: “We had a brief glimmer of normality before he relapsed, but he has done remarkably well and is in remission.

“Robert still needs radiotherapy and a bone marrow transplant next month, but that will give him the best chance of a long-term recovery. We’re quite optimistic.

“He’s a little trooper. He did the children’s bikeathon last year, and again this year, even though he was on antibiotics and in the middle of chemo.

“This will be our team’s third bikeathon. The work the charity does is great. Even if it doesn’t help Robert, it may help children in the future.”

The bikeathon starts from Shoebury East Beach at 9am tomorrow.

Riders can enter on the day or via southendbikeathon.co.uk

To sponsor Robert’s team, go to justgiving.com/7milesperpint