A BOY born with leukaemia will help spread festive cheer to children spending Christmas in hospital.

Max Pedelty, who has Down’s syndrome, will dress up as one of Santa’s elves to deliver gifts to youngsters battling cancer.

The four-year-old will visit the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, where he himself spent eight months being treated for leukaemia.

His mother Mandy said the idea came from another young cancer sufferer who dressed up and delivered presents on Christmas morning when Max was in hospital.

“On Christmas Day all of Max’s hair fell out,” she recalled. “I can remember his eyelashes being all over his cheeks. I was devastated and then Cory came in dressed like an elf and it lifted everyone’s spirits.”

Max is now in remission but still suffers major respiratory problems and has severe hypotonia, meaning his muscles are weak, making walking difficult.

He also has a very weak immune system as a result of his chemotherapy.

“Max has had pneumonia 15 times, he’s had complete respiratory failure, septicaemia and two months ago he had his tonsils removed to help him breathe," said Mandy.

“When he was born he was like a little blue ball, he had a rare form of cancer called transient leukaemia, which only newborn babies with Down’s syndrome can have.

“The doctors told us that there was a strong chance it would develop into acute myeloid leukaemia, which Max was diagnosed with on September 1, 2011.

“He is such a happy little boy and he is always smiling. We were in the RVI for eight months and he only cried once.”

Mandy and husband, Trevor, also have two older children, seven-year-old Joe who suffers with brittle asthma, and 15-year-old Mollie, who has epilepsy.

Trevor, who works full time for the Environment Agency, said: “When Max was in hospital we all lived there, only one of us could stay on the ward with Max, so other one would stay in Crawford House, with Joe, whilst Mollie stayed with our parents"

Crawford House is a charity-run house for parents of children who are staying on the cancer unit.

Mandy added: “We were told Max only had a five per cent chance of surviving when he went in to complete respiratory failure after the first round of chemotherapy. We just want to give something back to the cancer unit for saving his life many times. It’s not nice being in there on Christmas Day.”

The family, who live in Willington, County Durham, are collecting gifts for children aged up to 18, which can be dropped off at Willington Community Resource Centre, High Street, Willington, until Tuesday, December 16.

“The older children liked beanie hats, or iPod/iPad covers, nothing needs to be branded, but we would ask for no hair products.”

Gifts can also be collected by contacting Mandy on 07534-272553.