THE mum of an eight-year-old boy battling leukaemia said he is ‘proud’ of his community for signing up to raise money for Oxford Children’s Hospital.

After being diagnosed with a type of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in October, Noah Castro is now part way through a six to eight month chemotherapy course.

His school, Queen Emma’s Primary School in Witney, his former pre-school Little Oaks, friends and family have rallied round to enter the Oxford Mail’s OX5 Run next month.

His mum Bryony Potter said treatment was going well but he was about to embark on the more intense fourth phase over the next month.

But she said staff at the hospital had made him comfortable in his surroundings.

The pre-school assistant said: “They are amazing up at the hospital, they’ve always got a smile on their faces and they treat Noah in such a lovely way.

“At first he was really quite nervous but now he will go off to the playroom or to the hospital school by himself.

“We visited the hospital the other day and he even had a ukulele lesson, which he loved.”

Money raised from the OX5 Run – set to top £1m after this year’s event – is spent on play specialists, vital equipment and toys and games to make children as comfortable as possible during their stay.

She said: “It’s a really great place, he can play on the PlayStation or with the other games there.

“It really helps from a social aspect as well as he has met other children who are going through something similar.”

Support for Team Noah has grown way beyond the family’s initial hopes in recent months with Little Oaks pre-school, where Ms Potter works, and Noah’s school Queen Emma’s Primary School both pledging their support through donations and staff signing up to the OX5 Run at Blenheim Palace on March 25.

Ms Potter said: “We put our initial limit at £200 but my family’s team has already raised £550 and there’s more from Noah’s dad’s team and the pre-school.

“We have had great support and I think Noah is very proud of everyone’s efforts.”

To join more than 950 fundraisers already signed up go to ox5run.co.uk