(Image: Children's Cancer North)
A new legacy fund is being launched to support families facing childhood cancer.
Matthew’s Meals and Miles has been created in memory of Tynemouth teenager Matthew Adams, who died on May 23, 2025 at the age of 18 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with metastatic paraganglioma, an ultra-rare and incurable neuroendocrine cancer.
The fund will support young cancer patients and their families from across the North East and Cumbria who are receiving treatment at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.
Matthew’s mother, Jane Hall, said: "To know that Matthew’s school and the wider community has helped us take the first steps in creating this legacy initiative means a great deal to us.
"Matthew was just 18 and making plans for his future when we lost him after two-and-a-half years of cancer treatment and everything that came with it.
"He should be turning 20 on October 3rd, and while his birthday will be incredibly difficult for us, we wanted to mark it by doing something that could make a positive difference for other families."
The fund has already received strong support from the community, including a £2,650 donation from Matthew’s former school, Kings Priory in Tynemouth.
Kings Priory School presenting the cheque (Image: Children's Cancer North)
Kings Priory raised the funds through a non-uniform day in May, with pupils wearing bright colours and Hawaiian shirts in honour of Matthew’s fun and quirky spirit.
The school held a second Hawaiian shirt day on September 28, with students and staff once again swapping uniforms for vibrant shirts to mark Matthew’s birthday and raise further support for the fund.
James Hand, assistant principal at Kings Priory School, said: "Matthew was very much part of the Kings Priory School family.
"Many staff had the pleasure and the privilege to be part of his life and to watch him grow to become a fabulous young man – determined, selfless, quirky and incredibly kind, even in the face of adversity.
"It seems fitting that we continue to celebrate Matthew through an initiative that is so attuned to the values he lived his life by.
"I know that if he were here, although he’d want no fuss, he’d feel a deep sense of quiet satisfaction that his name is associated with a cause supporting those facing difficulty and hardship."
Matthew’s Meals and Miles will provide financial help for food and travel, addressing the often-overlooked costs of hospital stays, repeated journeys for specialist treatment and daily care for a seriously ill child.
The rising cost of living has added further strain to families already dealing with the emotional and practical challenges of childhood cancer.
Abigail Hewison, head of charity at Children’s Cancer North, said: "The Government’s £10m travel support is hugely welcome, but getting to hospital is only part of the journey."
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"Matthew’s family have taken the qualities that Matthew was known for – his kindness, compassion and desire to help others – and created a lasting and positive legacy in his name."
Matthew was in Year 13 and about to take his A-levels in history, geography and politics when his health rapidly deteriorated from Easter 2025 onwards.
He had hoped to study archaeology at Newcastle University.