Alex Bolt Fund

Alex's story

Alex was a fun loving, popular, sport loving, fit, 16 year old when he died of a High Grade Glioma in May 2011. Our world collapsed on March 23rd 2010 when he came home from a day of football at school and commented on having a numb arm and leg. A&E queried MS but within a week the diagnosis was even more devastating. He fought bravely for a year from the original diagnosis, enduring surgery, 6 weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy with humour and courage.

The scans of the tumour initially showed significant improvement and he was quietly optimistic of the short to medium term future and holidays were booked; we had two very special weeks away with Alex over the Autumn and Spring Half Terms, but tragically the tumour reoccurred aggressively in a new location and treatment options were limited.

His final few weeks were spent at home with his family looking after him and school friends visiting daily, even when he had slipped into unconsciousness; he never liked hospitals, and thanks to the support of the outreach nurses we cared for him to the end in his own home and bedroom which he loved.

Alex longed for the day he could return to school and play sport again, especially cricket Sadly whilst he managed to return to school for a couple of terms and start his GCSEs, he never graced the sports field again.

Alex was a devoted Spurs supporter and the club was very supportive of him, arranging for him to meet the players at the training ground and also a day for the family as their guests in the director’s box at ‘The Lane’. Their support and kindness meant a great deal to him and us.

We intend for the funds raised in Alex’s name to be channelled into Brain Tumour research, especially in teenagers.

Read the moving tribute that was given at Alex’s funeral.

Cricketer, Darren Gough and his wife Anna have been particularly supportive of Alex’s fund, you can read how they have got involved and why here: Darren Gough’s blog: Remembering Alex Bolt.

Achievements to date

By April 2012, the group raised £85,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity. This achievement was recognised by a new Alex Bolt Research Fellowship opened at Samantha Dickson Brain Cancer Unit at University College London’s (UCL) Cancer Institute.