A nine-year-old boy who battled leukaemia for four years has donated £100 of his own money to Stevenage’s Lister Hospital and is now on a mission to raise £2,000 to bring a smile to the faces of sick children.

Alfie Pitt, who lives in Letchworth, was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was two years old.

His mum, Kirsty said: “I didnt really know what was going to happen. We were told in the afternoon and within six hours we were in an ambulance.”

For the next four years Alfie spent a lot of time on Lister’s Bluebell ward, where he was given his very own toy box, put together by East and North Herts NHS Trust play specialists for children too sick to visit the play room.

Kirsty said: “Play specialist Christina was the very first person I spoke to after the doctor gave me Alfie’s diagnosis.

“She stayed with me whilst I phoned my husband to tell him the news.

“I will always remember Christina and how she was there for all of us that day.”

Alfie had donated £100 - a gift from his granny - to the East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity to help fund more toy boxes for sick children.

He said: “The play specialists helped me. When I had cancer they helped me get through it. They helped me get better.

“The toy box made a big difference to my stay in hospital. When I wasn’t able to leave my room it was nice to have toys to play with and to be able to colour in.

“I want to make sure other children get to have toys too.”

Kirsty said: “When we asked Alfie what he remembered most about his time at Lister, he said it was his toy box. This box made a huge difference to Alfie because it was personal to him and he was given it each time he was admitted.

“We will forever be grateful for the extraordinary treatment Alfie received.”

Alfie is now in remission and is asking for others to follow in his footsteps and donate to the East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity this Christmas through his JustGiving fundraising page Alfie’s Christmas Wish justgiving.com/campaign/alfieschristmaswish.

Kirsty said: “We are so proud and inspired by Alfie’s generosity and his passion to help other children.”