Young brothers take on challenge in memory of ‘adored’ grandad

Two Cambridgeshire brothers are taking on unique literary challenges to raise funds for a charity close to their hearts.

Six-year-old Albie Price and his autistic 10-year-old brother, Reuben, are taking part in a 20 for 20 challenge in aid of Brain Tumour Research, in memory of the grandfather they ‘adored’, who died of an inoperable brain tumour in 2019.

The challenge will see Albie read 20 different books on 20 separate days, whilst Reuben will be giving talks on 20 different dinosaurs once his brother completes his fundraiser.

The pair, from St Ives, chose their challenges with each other’s help, as well as that of their parents, Zoe and Jordan, who encouraged them to choose something that would not be easy for them.

Zoe, an early years practitioner at Wheatfields Primary School, in St Ives, where her sons are students, said: “They’ve done a couple of fundraisers in the past and they’ve enjoyed having the chance to feel like they’re doing something good in their grandad’s memory so when I saw this challenge on social media I thought it would be a great one for them to get involved in.

“Albie is a very reluctant reader to say the least so, when his brother said ‘why don’t you do this’, it was what he ran with. His attitude to reading has definitely improved. Like most children he’s usually angelic for his teacher and then more like the Hulk at home but now he’s actually asking to read instead of me having to bribe him. We’ve been pleasantly surprised that he’s actually willing to read. This morning he even grabbed a book with his brother and started reading, which isn’t something we’ve seen before so we’re definitely proud of him.”

The books Albie has chosen to read so far include Wild Kratts by Chris and Martin Kratt, Pokemon Read Aloud and The Shark’s Tooth. His selection has been made up of some books from school as well as some from home, including a few he has borrowed from his brother who keeps a lot of books in his bedroom.

Zoe, 37, added: “Reuben has autism and his specialist subject is dinosaurs. He thinks all the dinosaurs should have their own spotlight so he likes to pick the obscure ones or unknown facts about the ones people are more familiar with. He knows a lot about them – when he was two, he even taught me how to say ‘parasaurolophus’. He doesn’t actually do well with planning, though, so we’ve had to adapt his challenge slightly. I’m now going to be asking him some interview-style questions on video. He also wants to do a Q&A so his friends and family are sending in questions for him to answer.”

The boys are undertaking their challenge in memory of their grandad, Steve Bastyan, who died in July 2019, just two months after suddenly losing the sight in one eye and being diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The 67-year-old, of Newton Poppleford in East Devon, was well known for his love of archery and owned a number of shops selling archery supplies until his retirement.

Zoe said: “They literally adored their grandad. He had a big garden in Devon and it was their thing to go explore his garden which, thankfully, I’ve inherited along with my sister, Anna Newling-Goode, so we still go there to hang out and remember him.”

She added: “When Dad found out he had the tumour, he was already pretty far gone and I had to up and leave my family to provide end-of-life care. We were given the diagnosis and the prognosis and then we were more-or-less left on our own for weeks, which is when I used the Brain Tumour Research website and others to help prepare us for what was going to come. That’s why we’re raising money for the charity.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s great to see so much creativity and determination being applied to this challenge, and what a fantastic way for Albie and Reuben to remember their grandad. We’re grateful for all their support as we remain committed to raising vital funds for research into brain tumours to prevent others from losing loved ones to this devastating disease.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To support the boys with their fundraising, visitwww.justgiving.com/fundraising/Zoe-Price9.