Fourteen-year-old Noam Jebb-Davies from Kingston is preparing to start a new school year after beating cancer twice.

The summer holidays are almost over, and many children and their parents are busy preparing for the new academic year.

However, for families like the Jebb-Davies', who have received a cancer diagnosis, there is a lot more to think about.

Noam was first diagnosed with Burkitt Iymphoma 12 years ago, aged two.

Talking about her son's cancer diagnosis', Noam's mum, Anna Jebb-Davies, said: "Looking back to that time, it is all a bit of a blur, but I remember Noam developed a large stomach over about two weeks.

"Initially I didn't think too much of it and I put it down to him being a toddler, but we went to the GP who immediately referred us to the Rapid Access Clinic at Kingston Hospital. The consultant felt Noam's tummy and instantly told us he thought it was a tumour."

Noam had chemotherapy which was administered through a Hickman Line and injections in his spine. 

His treatment lasted four months, and this was followed by regular checkups at the hospital. 

Despite making a full recovery, ten years later, in a completely unrelated turn of events, Noam got cancer again.

Anna said: "I was horrified when we received the news that Noam had cancer. Our lives as we knew it were turned upside down. Noam's chemotherapy treatment started straight away, and thankfully, he made a full recovery, and life mostly went back to normal."

In Autumn 2921, when Noam was 12, he started to complain of pain in his left side when he was doing sport.

However, the pain always resided quickly, so the family put it down to muscular pain.

Yet in April 2022, when Noam was away for the weekend, he started getting pains again.

Anna said: "My friend took him to hospital where they did a scan and found a mass near his heart.

"I immediately collected Noam and took him to Kingston Hospital, where he was admitted for a CT scan. As well as discovering a tumour on Noam's chest, they found fluid on his lungs."

Noam said: "I remember feeling really overwhelmed when I found out I had cancer the second time, but I knew I wanted to get back to school as soon as I could.

"Having that at the forefront of my mind kept me focused.

"I had nine rounds of chemotherapy treatment, surgery to remove the tumour, and then a further five rounds of in fusional chemotherapy. I also had proton beam therapy and radiotherapy."

Talking about the impact his treatment had on his schooling, Noam said: "One of the worst things about everything that happened was not getting to see my friends at Kingston Academy School.

"Apart from the odd day, I missed nine months of school. Thankfully, I was able to keep in touch with my friends on my PlayStation."

He continued: "I had some brilliant tutoring both at home and in the hospital, so I was able to keep up with my studies for English, Science and Maths. I love learning, and it feels good to be able to see my friends again."

Noam is excited to return to school in September and see his friends (Image supplied)

September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Noam and Anna want to shine a light on this and share how Momentum Children's Charity supported the family during this difficult time.

Anna said that their Family Support Worker from Momentum Children's Charity "was amazing".

"She wasn't in our face; she was just there when we needed her. She also gave us practical advice.

"As a parent with a child going through cancer treatment, no one else can fully understand what you are going through or can share that burden. Momentum appreciates that and knows that life must go on around everything else," she said.

Momentum Children's Charity supports families across Southwest London, Surrey and Sussex whose children are facing cancer.

The hospitals it works with in London are Kingston Hospital, The Royal Marsden Hospital and St. George's Hospital.

Bianca Effemey OBE, Founder and CEO at Momentum Children's Charity, said: "We'd like to wish Noam the best of luck as he embarks on his new school year.

Every year, more than 1900 families in the UK receive the heartbreaking news that their child has cancer and sadly, this number is increasing."

Effemey continued: "This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we want to remind people that we are here to offer support to families who have a child with cancer or another life-challenging condition.

"Through our partnerships with hospitals in London, Surrey, and Sussex, our Family Support Workers can give practical and emotional support to find the best ways to support every single member of the family so that no one feels like they're facing the future alone."

You can find out more about Momentum Children's Charity here.