10-Year-Old Leukaemia Fighter Raises £400,000 for Charities

A young boy, aged 10, who has courageously battled leukaemia for many years has been honored for his remarkable fundraising achievements—hav...

A young boy, aged 10, who has courageously battled leukaemia for many years has been honored for his remarkable fundraising achievements—having collected £400,000 for the charities that aided him during his treatment.

Rafael Tahan, a student in Year 5, received a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in March 2023, at the age of seven.

Following that, he needed to go through aggressive chemotherapy in an effort to preserve his life, which involved over 20 surgeries and 100 blood donations.

During this time, Rafael received assistance from Camp Simcha, a group that offers support, getaways, and events for Jewish children suffering from severe medical conditions.

Rafael, now in remission and still recovering, has contributed significantly - raising £248,000 for Camp Simcha, which he credits with bringing 'a smile back to [his] face'.

He has also contributed to raising funds for Chai.CancerCare - increasing his total to £400,000.

Currently, Rafael's remarkable contributions have been acknowledged following his receipt of The British Citizen Youth Award – backed by The People's Honours.

A young boy and his family visited the House of Lords last month, where he received the honor.

The British Citizen Youth Award (BCyA) was established in 2016 to recognize the outstanding community efforts of young individuals.

Rafael started his remarkable fundraising initiative this year during Camp Simcha's Matched Funding campaign.

In a Camp Simcha video supporting the initiative, Rafael stated: "I was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago and had 12 needles inserted into my arms."

He remembered how Camp Simcha arranged for him to go on a journey to the United States to spend a summer at Camp America.

Rafael mentioned he felt 'nervous' about the journey since this was his first time traveling abroad independently, yet he felt comfortable because Camp Simcha sent a volunteer named Raffi (who was also supported by the charity when he had a brain tumor) to accompany him.

"He brought me to events when I required assistance," Rafael mentioned. He further stated his desire to become a volunteer for the charity and support other children in the future.

Rafael's talent for raising funds is part of his family's legacy — following his older brother Joey, who secured over £100,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital, which cared for Rafael, in 2023.

Expressing solidarity with his younger brother during the start of his challenging chemotherapy treatment, Joey decided to shave his head. His initial goal was to raise £18,000 for GOSH, a significant amount as the number 18 represents 'life' in Hebrew.

Nevertheless, Joey shattered his goal - achieving a total of £106,792 for the Children's Cancer Centre at the hospital.

Rafael's father, David, shared the harsh experiences his son endured—such as rigorous chemotherapy, over 20 surgeries, and 100 blood transfusions.

He described how Rafael missed a significant portion of school due to his treatment, yet expressed gratitude to the charities for their support during that period.

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