A brother and sister who have stayed home for 14 months to shield their dad from Covid are finally back at school.
Amelia, 16, and William, 13, Priddy could not risk infecting their father Greg, 45, who was told he had a brain tumour in November 2020 – meaning catching the virus could be fatal to him.
The children were taught by mum Jo, 41, while the whole family self-isolated in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey.
None of the four has mixed with friends or family aside from socially distanced walks and not one person has set foot in their home since December 2020.
In happy news, medics now believe Greg’s antibodies have increased, meaning the kids can return to classes — but with masks and advice to avoid crowds by leaving early.
Will says he is ‘still bit worried I’ll bring germs home’ but is planning on being ‘extra careful’.
‘I can’t wait to see my best friend, Joshua, in person, rather than on a screen. I’ve missed PE lessons too but unfortunately won’t be able to play rugby again just yet’, he said.
‘Mostly I’m just excited to go back to school and to be back in the classroom with my friends.’
The young man adopted a positive attitude in the face of adversity, raising an incredible £14,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
He ran a daily mile in his back garden for a whole year, as well as a marathon last October.
Greg’s family knew something was wrong when he started behaving strangely in lockdown – including leaving the front door open at night and turning all the lights on in the house.
Doctors diagnosed him with primary brain CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) in November 2020, delivering the devastating news that his tumour was inoperable by New Year’s Eve.
Over the last year-and-a-half, he was put through gruelling chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant which dangerously weakened his immune system.
Amelia – who performed sponsored dance routines and sold homemade resin keyrings to assist with her brother’s fundraiser – has described her teachers as ‘brilliant’.
‘It’s been hard work trying to keep up with everyone, as my remote lessons seem to take longer than they do in class’, she said.
‘My teachers have been brilliant though, always at the end of an email and happy to help. Miss Macaree and Miss Claringbull even did doorstep visits, bringing school supplies to the house, which was so kind of them.’
Speaking of the teachers who helped his kids out, dad Greg said: ‘They’ve been so understanding and helped the kids every step of the way.’
Meanwhile, Jo, who works as a school examinations invigilator, has said she ‘couldn’t be prouder’ of her children.
She said: ’The kids have found it tricky at times; their lives have been turned upside-down and they’ve been separated from their friends. That said, they’ve coped amazingly well, showing immense resilience.’
‘They’ve also been a great support to one another – if Will has got stuck with some schoolwork, Amelia has stepped in to help. I’m amazed that there’ve been no rows at all!’
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