THE bereaved parents of a cheeky little boy who has inspired hundreds of people to raise money for a children's hospice want to keep his memory alive with another charity challenge.

Cath and Richard Laurie from Langford, Bicester, say they will forever have a Thomas-shaped hole in their family after their son passed away at the age of nine in February 2014.

They are calling on people to sign up to this year's Helen and Douglas House Rainbow Run to raise funds as a tribute to the youngster.

Thomas had a rare genetic condition called Cockayne syndrome, which causes premature ageing, and he died at the children and young people's hospice in East Oxford.

Just four months later more than 100 of Thomas's friends and family took on the 3km Helen and Douglas House Rainbow Run in his name to give thanks to for the hospice's support.

This year the family hope to do exactly the same and have called on as many people as possible to join them.

Their mission to remember their son through fundraising has so far raised more than £25,000 for the charity in Magdalen Road.

Mrs Laurie said: "Helen and Douglas House still support us now, three years on since Thomas died.

"Everyone carries on with their lives but obviously we are still missing Thomas.

"There is a sort of Thomas-shaped hole in our family and not a day goes by that we don’t miss him.

"Helen and Douglas House is the only organisation that understand that.

"They were there through the happy times, not just the sad times, and that is just as important now."

The hospice helped their family with five years of respite care when Thomas was alive and continues to help with counselling.

Thomas's 15-year-old sister Ellie is also given support by siblings' support group the Elephant Club.

Mrs Laurie added: "The facilities are amazing, the gardens are beautiful and Thomas used to love going out on walks with the nurses to feed the ducks.

"We would go in at weekends and would stay as a family and Thomas absolutely loved it, he would light up when we pulled into the carpark."

The hospice regularly organised days out for the family, including a trip to Downing Street for Ellie.

Mrs Laurie said: "We can now look back on things such as a memorable trip to Lapland UK that we would’ve never been able to do as a family without Helen and Douglas House.

"Those memories they helped make for us as a four are really quite special.

"When you are raising money for the hospice, a lot of it obviously goes on the medical side of things but it also gives families like us these opportunities.

"I knew I wasn’t going to be able to celebrate Thomas’s 21st birthday, first day of school or him learning to drive but Helen and Douglas House gave us milestones in order to still have some special memories."

Team Thomas will once again be running the Oxford Rainbow Run on Saturday, June 24, at Cutteslowe Park.

The run sees participants doused from head to toe with coloured paint and mirrors the ethos of the charity – celebrating happiness and living life to the full.

Family friend Ewan Gordon, from Bicester, has been running dressed as the film character Forrest Gump since Thomas's diagnosis.

He said: "If you ever met Thomas you would understand the total and selfless love one little man and his amazing family have for each other from the moment he was born until their tragic parting.

"Helen and Douglas House always provide that selfless love to all patients and it's an incredible charity.

"I will not forget the love they showed when caring for Thomas."

Entry to the Rainbow Run is £12 for children and £17.50 for adults.

For more details see helenanddouglas.org.uk.

To donate or sign up to Team Thomas see facebook.com/RunningForThomasLaurie