Bradford family’s joy at dream holiday (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Florida beckons for West Bowling brother and sister suffering from eye cancer

9:00am Saturday 20th October 2012 in News

A boy blinded in both eyes by cancer and his sister who is battling the same illness will fly for a dream holiday in Florida next year – thanks to a children’s charity.

Abdur Khan, nine, lost his sight soon after birth due to retinoblastoma which struck before doctors could act in time.

But thankfully his condition prompted swift action when his sister Jawairiyah, eight, was threatened in the same way.

Retinoblastoma destroys light sensitive cells in the eyeball unless tackled early, and luckily doctors at the Royal London Hospital were able to freeze Jawairiyah’s cancer before it could do any harm.

“She still has to go to the Royal London every three months for treatment, but it has saved her sight,” said grateful dad Riz Khan, of Newcross Street, West Bowling, Bradford.

He has two other children, Abdul, seven and Umaira, six, who are clear of the shadow cast over their elder brother and sister.

And now the family are looking forward to the trip to Florida, thanks to a charity for sick children.

“Staff at the London Hospital put us in touch with the charity Rays of Sunshine and generously it will pay for my children to have the holiday of a lifetime,” said proud father Mr Khan, 39.

“We do not have a date or details yet, but my children are so excited – especially Abdur,” he said hugging his children for a picture at Lifeline Leisure, a community sports and help centre in the heart of Bradford.

The centre helped Mr Khan after another bit of good fortune threatened to go sour.

London-based Rays of Sunshine had also sent Jawairiyah £500 of vouchers to spend at Toys R Us, but when the children arrived at the checkout clutching toys – the computerised till rejected it.

“It was a very embarrassing situation, but we got it sorted out ,” said Mr Khan’s friend Ifty Mir, who runs Lifeline Leisure.

“The Bradford store’s computer said the vouchers had already been cashed – which they hadn’t, so I spoke to Toys R Us head office and they soon discovered their mistake,” Mr Mir said.

So now Abdur, who goes to Grove House school, Jawairiyah, who is at Usher Street Primary and the rest of the family are trying to keep calm about their Florida holiday.

“It is very, very exciting, I can’t wait,” said Abdur.