Little Josh, 5, walks for first time (From Messenger Newspapers)

Altrincham boy, Josh Humphreys, 5, walks for first time

1:01pm Thursday 30th August 2012 in News By Kate Banks, Reporter

A FIVE-year-old boy from Altrincham who has never walked due to a rare form of cancer has been able to stand for the first time.

Joshua Humphreys was first diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma, a cancerous growth at the back of his brain, in 2009 when he was just two-years-old.

His parents were told he may never walk and require the use of a wheel chair throughout his life.

However, he can now stand up with the aid of a frame.

His mother, Lisa Bailey, said: “It was just a massive shock really, he’d never walked and he used to tremor with his hands.
 

“So we took him to a specialist because people said we were overreacting and he diagnosed him almost as soon as he walked through the door.

“We were shocked and quite emotional. We thought it was something to do with hi, being double jointed but we never expected a brain tumour.”
 

Lisa said she and Josh’s dad, Colin, did not think too far ahead and just concentrated on getting Josh through his 18 months of chemotherapy.

Happily, Josh is now making a good recovery and is well enough to attend Bollin Primary school, where he first stood with the aid of a frame.
 

Lisa said: “His physiotherapist had made a few attempts at him standing up, but he was always too poorly, too tired, too wobbly, so we didn’t actually know the physio was trying him with the frame.

“She just told us she had a surprise for us when we picked him up from school and we just saw him and he was away. We were so happy.”

Lisa said the physiotherapist has high hopes that Josh will be able to walk one day.