Kind-hearted Edinburgh boy will cut his long hair to support best friend with cancer

AuthorDanyel Vanreenen
Published date21 June 2022
Publication titleEdinburghLive (Scotland)
Nine-year-old Leo Zyw from Newhaven will be cutting off his beautiful blonde locks on Sunday as part of a campaign to raise money for eight-year-old Rudi Abbot of Edinburgh

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Leo's initial goal was to raise £150 for his friend. However, the campaign has raised nearly £1,000 with a week remaining.

"We hope Rudi and his family feel happy and grateful that Leo is doing this," said Danny Zyw, Leo's father.

"They really need all the help they can get, and I'm very, very proud of Leo for doing this to support his friend."

Leo and Rudi, eight, have been friends since birth, and Leo said he loves to play football in the backyard with his friend. The boys are an extension of a 40-year friendship between their father's, and Danny said it has been tough watching Rudi fight for his life the last couple of years.

During the summer of 2020, Rudi began to experience headaches and slightly blurry vision, and an MRI scan revealed an aggressive grade 4 brain tumour (pineoblastoma).

Rudi underwent 10 months of intensive treatment, including chemotherapy, and he received a clear prognosis at the end. However, just a few short months later, a scan revealed that the tumours had returned.

"This devastating news was compounded when we were informed that there are now very limited options available to Rudi, and what the NHS can provide has unfortunately reached its limit," a family member explained on GoFundMe.

The family fought to get Rudi into a medical trial in the United States, but they have been forced to crowd fund resources to make it financially viable.

"The whole ordeal has completely turned their lives upside down," Danny said.

"Rudi is a really...

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