A teenager who spent five years in and out of University Hospital as he bravely battled cancer has collected 200 selection boxes for young patients on the Children's Ward as a thank you to the staff.
Ryan Malpass, aged 18, of Mavor Drive, Bedworth, underwent a major operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital the day before his 13th birthday after discovering lumps on his neck. Five days later test results showed he had Hodgkins Lymphoma.
For the next six months brave Ryan underwent a course of chemotherapy. He was regularly in and out of Coventry's Walsgrave hospital as medics fought to bring the cancer under control.
Thankfully the treatment was successful and earlier this year, just weeks before his 18th birthday, doctors told Ryan and his family he was out of remission.
It was Ryan's mother Michelle, who works at premium express delivery company City Link, who brought Ryan's quest to collect as many selection boxes as possible to the attention of her senior managers within the Coventry Depot and the company instantly agreed to offer their support. Other businesses also came on board including Tesco, Coca Cola and Mars, helping Ryan to collect a total of 200 boxes. He delivered them with the help of a City Link van to children on the ward on Friday.
Ryan said: "The treatment I have had from staff at University Hospital, since my operation five years ago in Birmingham, has been excellent. They can never do enough for me and I really wanted to give something back, but in a way which would benefit lots of people.
"City Link, Tesco, Coca Cola and Mars have been excellent in their support and I would like to thank all the organisations for helping me to collect so many boxes for the children."
Chris Dennigan, General Manager of City Link's Coventry Depot, said: "Michelle is an extremely valued member of the team at City Link in Coventry so were only too delighted to support Ryan.
"They will go a long way to putting smiles on the faces of young patients in hospital this Christmas."