THE MOTHER of a toddler who has battled cancer has set up a charity to help families in need of respite.

Three-year-old Ruddi Waterworth-Jones was diagnosed with a rare cancer condition at just six months old.

Following a year of vigorous treatment – including three months in hospital in America – he has now been in remission for 17 months.

His mum, Ali Jones, applied through Yorkshire childhood cancer charity, Candlelighters for a respite family holiday and for the past two years was given a week’s holiday in a caravan at Primrose Valley.

Although Ruddi is now registered as disabled following the cancer treatments, the family were rejected for a holiday this year.

Ali decided to set up the charity, Ruddi’s Retreats, to help families suffering from the after affects of cancer.

Ruddi’s dad, Craig Waterworth-Jones, Ali’s sister Charlotte Weedon and close friend Andrew Forster are just a few who have joined the fundraising committee.

They aim to buy a static caravan in the Yorkshire area to give families a holiday experience they will never forget.

Ali said: “When a child goes into remission the things that were forthcoming from charities stop, which I’m not saying is a bad thing.

“But cancer takes everything from you and we can’t afford to take a holiday and we were turned away from a charity.

“I want to be able to make sure that families can have it for years to come.

“We want to offer a holiday opportunity to children with a disability, life shorting illnesses or suffering from bereavement.”

In order to have the caravan fitted out with necessary adaptations for disabled children, they have set an initial target of £30,000.