Hometown rallies behind child patient

BRAVE LAD: Marton youngster Toby Piper takes some time out at Starship Hospital, where he will be for the next six months after being

Toby Piper's family say the support they have received over the past month has been amazing.

The Marton 5-year-old is in Starship Hospital in Auckland after last month being diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma, an aggressive blood cancer that is affecting his kidneys and other organs.

Marton School and Rangitikei College have both held events to raise money, while Marton New World has also made contributions along with individual donations.

That, on top of more than $4000 donated through Toby's Givealittle page, has put the total donation at more than $6000.

Toby's mother Angela said the Marton community had come together for Toby.

"His school has been really good," she said. "Some people that we don't even know that just read the story and wanted to help out in some way."

Meanwhile, Toby has been receiving treatment for a month now. "He's been doing okay," Miss Piper said.

"We did get out to go up to Ronald McDonald House for about 11 hours. Then he got a temperature and had to come back ... He's just on a break from chemo at the moment, he's probably a week away from his third cycle."

Miss Piper said the doctors were happy with Toby's progress. He is expected to be at Starship for six months.

She and Toby had "adjusted" to life at Starship but "I don't think that we can ever really settle into the ward at all. Missing home definitely."

Miss Piper said once Toby was in remission they planned to take him away from Starship for some fun activities.