Kind-hearted Buxton schoolboy delivers toys to hospital children's ward

A Buxton youngster who has spent much of his life in hospital generously collected 59 toys to give to poorly children at Stepping Hill Hospital.
Rhys Mellor collected 59 new toys and delivered them to the childrens ward at Stepping Hill Hospital.Rhys Mellor collected 59 new toys and delivered them to the childrens ward at Stepping Hill Hospital.
Rhys Mellor collected 59 new toys and delivered them to the childrens ward at Stepping Hill Hospital.

Ten-year-old Rhys Mellor has Chiari malformation, a structural defect which means the lowest part of the back of his brain extends into the spinal canal.

This puts pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord, and obstructs the flow of fluid.

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His mum Louise said: “It has been a really tough and bumpy ride over the years, but we are finally getting there.”

The toys were collected by Rhys and donated to Stepping Hill Hospital.The toys were collected by Rhys and donated to Stepping Hill Hospital.
The toys were collected by Rhys and donated to Stepping Hill Hospital.

The condition means Rhys has been in and out of Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport for most of his life.

Louise, of Thornsett Avenue in Fairfield, said: “He wanted to do something for the children who would be in hospital over Christmas and said he would collect toys to take in to them.”

The family did not want the Harpur Hill Primary School pupil to be disappointed, so set him a target of collecting ten toys.

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But Louise said: “In the run-up to Christmas we took 59 toys to the wards, which was truly amazing.

Rhys as a baby during one of his stays at Stepping Hill Hospital.Rhys as a baby during one of his stays at Stepping Hill Hospital.
Rhys as a baby during one of his stays at Stepping Hill Hospital.
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“I couldn’t believe how generous people have been. I even had strangers handing me toys because they had heard what Rhys was doing. It was unbelievable.”

Rhys has been waiting for an operation to try and correct the position of his brain, but the surgery has been postponed in case the recovery makes him more poorly.

Louise said: “I’m so proud of him. He has been through so much but his kind heart is bigger than any medical problem.

“He knows what it is like to be in hospital over Christmas and he wanted to make it easier and fun for the other children who were in there.”

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