When local mother Nicola Greville took her infant son to the doctors in 2013 with suspicions he may have low iron levels she had no idea he was about to be diagnosed with a rare type of leukaemia.
"The doctor came around home that morning two hours later and told us that he had leukaemia and that we'd have to pack...and that we'd be flying the next day on the air ambulance to Starship and not to expect to be home for a great deal of time," she said.
Marcus, just days away from his first birthday, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia treatment and underwent four rounds of aggressive chemotherapy at Starship Hospital in Auckland throughout the following six months.
With a 55 per cent success rate Mrs Greville said her and her husband, Stuart Greville, had to balance Marcus' treatment with fulltime work and caring for their two other children at home.
"It was a pretty trying time but at that time Child Cancer Foundation made themselves known to us and were really, really supportive in terms of rallying together grocery vouchers, petrol vouchers, making contact to see if we needed anything else and that sort of support."
Since returning to Hawke's Bay in August of 2013 with Marcus, who is now in remission, Mrs Greville said she has maintained contact with the Child Cancer Foundation and wants to do her part for the organisation that supported her family the most.
"I think they were probably the most important organisation that we dealt with when Marcus was sick...volunteering once a year is nothing compared to the sort of support and help that they give everybody else."
Marcus' family will be collecting outside the Hastings Countdown supermarket this Saturday as part of the Child Cancer Foundation's March Appeal and street collection that is taking place tomorrow and Saturday.
"They're the charity organisation that I'd like to do my bit to pay it forward because they helped us so much."
Mrs Greville said with no direct government funding the foundation's street appeal is vital for their ability to provide support to families with children living through cancer.
"Every single little bit that you can get they need desperately."
Marcus, now "well and truly" in remission, starts school next week and loves to play rugby and spend time with cousins and friends.
"He's just a typical 5-year-old boy which is really lovely to see because there were times there when you didn't know that you were actually going to ever see that," she said.
This March, Child Cancer Foundation needs to raise $750,000 to assist more than 500 families with children suffering from cancer in the hospital, at home and in the
community.
Those wishing to donate can visit www.childcancer.org.nz or look out for street collectors this Friday and Saturday.