It鈥檚 a nightmare no child should ever have to suffer, but support is pouring in for a Penticton boy battling cancer.

Until recently, seven-year-old Wills Hodgkinson was a happy, athletic and active child, participating in soccer, hockey and swimming. Now he鈥檚 in a hospital bed in Vancouver, preparing for an operation to remove a tumour attached to his kidney.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if he understands the full thing in his head, but he鈥檚 scared and he鈥檚 resigned to the situation,鈥� said his dad Tim Hodgkinson. Tim, along with Wills鈥� mother Neely Brimer and two-year-old sister Scarlett, are staying in Vancouver to be at Wills鈥� side.

鈥淗e knows he鈥檚 got to have the surgery, and we鈥檝e got to move forward to make him better. He just wants to be home with his mates playing football (soccer). All our energies are supporting him.鈥�

It鈥檚 a big mass and it鈥檚 probably been in there since he was in the womb. Sitting there like a ticking time bomb.

Tim said that, according to doctors, the tumour has probably been growing since Wills was in the womb, but the symptoms came on quickly last month.

It started with a tummy ache and throwing up on a Saturday night.

鈥淚 took him off school on Monday, and on the Monday night he was crying out in pain,鈥� Tim said. Expecting just a childhood ailment, Hodgkinson took his son to the emergency ward at Penticton Regional Hospital.

鈥淎n hour went by, and then another, and we鈥檙e still there,鈥� said Hodgkinson. 鈥淭he doctor came back and said 鈥楲ook, I鈥檝e got to talk to you.鈥�

Wills has a Wilm鈥檚 tumour, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. The usual treatment is to remove both the tumour and affected kidney, and the outlook for most children is good.

But when doctors at the , part of B.C. Children鈥檚 Hospital, took Wills into surgery they found problems.

鈥淲hen they got in there, they found the tumour had fused itself to his pancreas, his spleen and the top part of his colon,鈥� said Tim. 鈥淪o they sewed him back up again because it was too risky at that point.

Wills is going through six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation treatments now, in hopes of shrinking the tumour enough that it peels itself away from the other organs.

When the medical team operates again, it鈥檚 going to be very traumatic for the little boy鈥檚 body.

鈥淗e鈥檚 very frail at the moment. We are looking at is six weeks of chemo, which will crush his defences and then go in, take a kidney out, a tumour that the body thinks is another organ, because it鈥檚 been in there so long and it鈥檚 so big,鈥� Tim said. Wills might also lose his pancreas and spleen, even then.

The nightmare doesn鈥檛 end there. Doctors also discovered eight tumours on Wills鈥� lungs. Tim said they won鈥檛 be able to tell if those are treatable until the chemotherapy begins to take effect.

鈥淭here are so many big questions at the moment. It鈥檚 all just a blur, it鈥檚 so overwhelming,鈥� said Tim. 鈥淒espite it all, you have to pull through. Wills is the most important thing here.鈥�

Wills鈥� two-year-old sister Scarlett has proven to be a bright spot. Tim said their decision to keep the family together at Wills鈥� side was a good one. Scarlett is too young to understand what is going on, so she is having a good time running around with the nurses and enjoying the hospital playrooms.

鈥淓very morning she comes in to Wills and she was kissing his hand and asking 鈥榓re you happy today Wills?鈥欌�� said Tim. 鈥淪he鈥檚 two, she doesn鈥檛 understand the extent of it but she knows Wills is sick and she loves her brother very much.鈥�

Growing up with a British father, Wills is naturally a major football fan, and he鈥檚 been visited by members of the Vancouver Whitecaps, along with their mascot Spike. He鈥檚 also received a letter from Gary Cahill, captain of his favourite team, the Chelsea Football Club and also the current captain of the England team.

鈥淭he whole team sent him a card too, with all their signatures,鈥� said Tim, adding that Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit also sent Wills a video.

鈥淲e鈥檙e completely overwhelmed by the generosity of people鈥檚 thoughts and messages. It鈥檚 truly humbling. Nobody ever wants to find themselves in this situation, but the support people are giving us is humbling,鈥� said Tim

Back at home in the Okanagan, community support is pouring in for the family via a fundraiser organized by Margie Hibbard and Tricia Hernes.

There are now over 800 people in a set up on Facebook, Hibbard said.

Since announcing the fundraiser, Hibbard said they鈥檝e learned there is another student at Wills鈥� school, Holy Cross Elementary, that has cancer.

鈥淲e are donating a portion of the bake sale to that student as well. Most of the bake sale is going to come from Holy Cross volunteers,鈥� said Hibbard.

Besides the bake sale, the fundraiser on March 11 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Adidas Soccerplex will include a silent auction, bake sale, glitter tattoos, bouncy castle, soccer skills competition, and crafts for the kids. It鈥檚 also a chance to send messages of love and encouragement to Wills, via a scrapbook, photos and videos provided by Moments Under Frame.

There is also a GoFundMe page set up at .

Hibbard said the outpouring of messages of support and items for the fundraiser has been amazing.

鈥淚 think people can really empathize with the stress, the fear, the loss of control that is going on there. It鈥檚 such a young child and he will have such a battle,鈥� said Hibbard. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a testament to how much people want to see good in the world.鈥�

Hibbard added they are still accepting silent auction items and bake sale goodies are needed. Anyone who is able to donate items can drop them off at Time Flies.

Organizers Hernes and Hibbard can be reached through the event page on or via email at triciahernes@gmail.com Margie_hibbard@hotmail.com.