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Boy with leukaemia sends robot double to school

Martin Heath & Annabel Amos
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Fewster family Ezra, who has no hair and wears glasses, is seen wearing a grey sweater and carrying a white robot with a small hole in the forehead and black-framed glasses. The body has stickers for Ezra's favourite teams and a speaker grille.Fewster family
The robot has a camera in its head so Ezra can see what is happening in the classroom

A 10-year-old boy with leukaemia is going to school and playing rugby matches despite being in hospital thanks to a robot.

The device even has glasses matching the ones worn by Ezra Fewster, from Northampton.

Ezra was diagnosed with the disease in November and a fundraising page for his family has raised more than £56,000.

He is due to have a bone marrow transplant next month and his parents have called for more people to register as stem cell donors.

For the Fewster family, the diagnosis of leukaemia came without warning.

His father, Kie, said: "Ezra's a mad rugby and football player but, after every time he played, his energy would just drop to complete zero."

Ezra started feeling sick every time he ate and lost his appetite, so the family took him to his doctor who gave him a blood test and then broke the news to his family.

Mr Fewster said: "The first few weeks, the shock was horrific, but Ezra's made it easy for us - he takes it all in his stride."

Fewster family Ezra wearing his glasses and a green and black football strip. He is kicking a yellow and blue ball across the grass. Metal fencing is visible behind him.Fewster family
Ezra plays rugby and football but found he had no energy after each game

The condition means Ezra has to spend a lot of time in hospital in Nottingham, so the robot, provided by a charity, takes his place in the classroom.

Mr Fewster said: "The robot is connected to his iPad.

"Ezra has full control of the robot, he can change the colour on the head - if it turns green, it means he wants to answer a question, or, if it turns blue, it means he's not really feeling up to talking."

"It's been to rugby matches [and] football matches - he still gets to be involved in all these things even though he's stuck in a ward for seven [or] eight weeks at a time."

The robot has even been involved in a scrum on the rugby pitch.

Fewster family A man with very short hair, a woman with long blond hair, a girl with medium-length brown hair and a boy with very short hair and glasses sit on a hospital bed. All are wearing blue Christmas pyjamas with festive pictures.Fewster family
Ezra and his family have to spend a lot of time in hospital

The community has rallied round to support the family and a fundraising page has raised over £56,000 to help with any necessary expenditure.

Mr Fewster said the family had not incurred many costs so far, so "we're using the money currently to help the charities and to help the ward out with stuff they need and pay it forward".

A charity running event is taking place on 21 February, which involves participants running four miles every four hours for 48 hours and an online auction is under way.

One of Ezra's football coaches is running 65 miles from the Sixfields Stadium to the Emirates Stadium in May.

Fewster family Ezra with very short hair and glasses, smiling with his hands behind his head. He is wearing a grey and yellow Bugbrooke football shirt and has a hospital ID band on his wrist. He is lying on a hospital bed.Fewster family
Ezra's father said he took the diagnosis "in his stride"

Mr Fewster said Ezra has been "lucky" in the search for a bone marrow donor and surgery is scheduled for next month.

He now wants more people to register as donors.

He said: "Loads of people will request a [donor] kit to join the register, but only 50% of them will return it.

"Our goal now is to really drive that register and help other families because we've been fortunate that Ezra hasn't had to wait".

Fewster family Ezra with very short hair and glasses hugging a brown dog. He is wearing dark blue Christmas pyjamas and there are several doors of a domestic home behind him.Fewster family
Ezra is scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant in March

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