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Terminally ill boy's family walk to deliver presents

BBC Elias in his mum's arms, wearing a dark cream jacket and black trouser. His mum and dad are in blue jumpers with matching logos. There is a big inflatable Santa next to them all, outside their home in Radstock.BBC
Jake and Abbie walked from Winsley in Wiltshire to the Royal United Hospital in Bath

The family of a boy living with an inoperable brain tumour have walked 10 miles to deliver donated presents to children in hospital at Christmas.

Elias, four, from Radstock, Somerset, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour eight months ago and given a nine to 12 month life expectancy.

His mother and father, Abbie and Jake, teamed up with Somerset charity Time is Precious, to collect presents.

These will be handed out to children on the wards at Bath's Royal United Hospital tomorrow.

Around 40 people joined the walk, which left from the Dorothy House Hospice in Winsley, Wiltshire, and headed to Bath.

Many of those attending were in fancy dress.

Time is Precious was founded in memory of Nicky and Neil Halford's son Ben, who passed away aged five, from a brain tumour.

The charity set up a donation point at the Hive community cafe in Peasedown St John near Bath.

People took tags from the Christmas tree, bought the suggested gifts and returned them to the cafe where they were wrapped up.

A man wearing a santa outfit, smiling at the camera, stood next to a man dressed as the Grinch, with a green mask and green fur on his face, who is riding an inflatable dinosaur
Supporters donned festive fancy dress for the walk

Elias was too unwell to join the walk, but his mum Abbie said she was "really happy" with the turnout.

"Elias loves giving gifts out, and the response has been amazing.

"We've got around 50 presents so that's a lot of children who will be cheered up in hospital," she said.

A man and a woman dressed as Christmas crackers
Around 40 people in fancy dress joined the walk

His father Jake told the BBC they wanted to give back "because Elias has been given so much."

"One of our main goals was to give back to other families and see other children with smiles on their faces.

"Everyone has come together for a sad reason, but there's lots of good people who want to help and we didn't expect this many presents," he added.

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