A family that knows all too well the hardships of cancer is reaching out to a six-year-old boy battling head-on with the disease.

Nic and Julianna Snelling faced a parent's worse nightmare three years ago when they watched their son, Jude, battle with the rare cancer-like disease, Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). After months of treatment in Boston, Jude was one of the 'lucky ones' to defeat the illness, however, all the old feelings came rushing back when Mrs. Snelling stumbled upon the story of six-year-old Sharwin 'Jay' Fubler in The Royal Gazette.

"When I read about Sharwin's diagnosis in the paper a couple of months ago and what his family was going through, it brought it all back to me, what our own family had gone through three years ago with our Jude," she said.

"I cut the article out and brought it home to our family to read and to think about what we could do for Sharwin."

The Snellings wanted to help out immediately, and in addition to making cards, five-year-old Jude decided to give part of his college inheritance money, left to him by his grandmother Julia Horseman, who died of skin cancer last year.

Mrs. Snelling was also able to get in touch with Sharwin's mother, Marvita, to offer support in her time of need.

She said: "We had a talk, emotional for me, about what they are going through and I tried to give her words of encouragement to say it had all worked out for Jude and it would for her son too.

"I admired her strength over the telephone. I could hear her baby crying in the background and could only imagine how difficult it must be to tend to a baby and Sharwin's situation at the same time."

Sharwin and Jude were both treated at the same hospital, by the same doctors and even received a similar regime of treatment. But most importantly, as a parent, Ms Snelling can relate to the other challenges Sharwin's parents are experiencing.

"Nic and I can definitely relate to what Marvita and her husband are going through — the incessant trips to Boston, the tiring struggle of getting medicines down your child, the fear and questioning that goes on in your mind and the huge interruption in your work and what you thought was normal life.

"But equally we can relate to the kindness that the world can show when you are going through something like this, and the very close bonding that the family can have when they learn the hard way about what is most important in this world, being together as a family," said Ms Snelling.

Since Sharwin was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) on Christmas Eve, his parents, Marvita and Sharwin Senior, have been on a whirlwind ride, tending to their child and their other two children, as well as facing various financial stresses.

"The journey has been stressful," explained Mrs. Fubler. "As a mother watching her son fight for his life, it has been very hard, especially when he doesn't want anybody to touch him or talk to him, and when he goes through his tantrums, or he just does not know how to express himself if he doesn't feel good. One minute he is happy the next minute he doesn't wish to be bothered.

"Emotionally we have also gone through a lot and sometimes I think all we want to do is just cry because there is only so much you can do and take."

The Fublers have also been under financial stress as Mr. Fubler was forced to give up his contracting job to take his son to appointments and overseas treatments each week.

Despite it all, the family remain optimistic and say that Sharwin has been coping well with treatments. However, they said they would be lying if they did not admit there were some fears in their minds as well.

Mrs. Fubler said: "We know that everything will be okay, and he will be cured, but we also think about the question 'what do we face later on in life?'"

Though these past six months have been rough, the Fublers admit that support from family and friends, and even the Snelling family, has been uplifting.

Anyone interesting in helping Sharwin and his family are encouraged to donate to the Bank of Bermuda account number 002-1143-87011.