Peterborough mother raising money to give young boy battling Leukaemia special Christmas surprise

Nina Bogucka has started the appeal in aid of 14-year-old Lukas who was diagnosed over a year and a half ago.

Lukas, who lives with his mother Jana and younger sister on Cromwell Road, has been described by Jana as someone who always thinks of others and would never ask for anything.

This is why Nina decided that she wanted to help Lukas.

She met with his family in March and has been trying to help the family in any way she can since then. Nina, who has three young children of her own, has been aided by fellow local heroes Ishfaq Hussain and Jagoda Kwiatkowska who have helped deliver hundreds of meals across Peterborough since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Lukas has been forced to shield given the increased risk the virus would pose to his immune system.

On top of this, he is receiving chemotherapy every week, the strength of which has been upped in the last two weeks given the results of blood tests. The strength of his medication has also been upped and there is a constant battle to find the right dose given his age and the fact he is growing so quickly.

Regular trips to Adenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge also add to the costs in what has been a difficult time for the family.

Nina said: “I’ve been speaking to Lukas over Facebook a lot and I really would like to do something nice for him. It’s been really tough for him going through all of this and I admire the way the whole family has stuck together.

“I think it’s really important to support children with long term illness. Chemotherapy is really difficult to understand for children, at a time when they should be out playing with their friends, they are instead spending long periods of time in the hospital.

“We would like to raise money for his dream, we know that toys are expensive but we want to put a smile on his face.”

Nina hopes to raise money to buy items from Lukas’ Christmas list to give him a special day. He has also written a letter to Father Christmas that reads as follows: “I would like to ask for health for me and my loved ones but I know that it can not be bought for any money. If I had to ask for toys I would.

“Nintendo Switch, Lego, electric scooter, LED lights, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and I would like for other people that are in hospitals to get a gift too!

“I would like to also wish that there would be no Covid-19 so that the world would be safe and healthy.!”

Nina added: “That letter shows what a big heart he has and that is why we want to do something special for him. Even a small amount will make a really big difference.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up, to make a donation click here.