AN inspirational four-year-old boy and his family will be walking alongside England cricket legend Sir Ian Botham in an effort to beat childhood blood cancers.

Max Rowlandson, of Little Walden Road, Saffron Walden, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in June 2010.

Having helped raise �13,000 for the children’s cancer ward where he was treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the brave youngster is set on another charity goal.

He will be joined by mum Jodie, dad Daniel and little sister India as the family take part in Beefy’s Great British Walk at the Wimpole Estate on April 20 to raise money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma research.

Jodie said: “Max is doing very well. He is about halfway through his three-year treatment and is now receiving his outpatient care at home. The only time we have to go to hospital is if he gets ill or picks up an infection.”

The mum-of-two said that when Sir Ian first started walking for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma charity in 1985, about 20 per cent of children diagnosed with the disease survived.

Today that figure is up to 80 per cent.

“Like Ian, we want to keep going until 100 per cent of children survive this devastating disease,” Jodie said.

Max was also recognised in last year’s annual Cancer Research UK Little Star Awards. He picked up a special star-shaped chrome trophy for continuing to shine despite his ordeal.

For their latest fundraiser, the family originally set a target of �1,000.

However, they have already surpassed this just three weeks after launching a Just Giving fundraising page. With �1,032.50 having been donated so far, their new goal is to get to �2,000.

To donate visit justgiving.com/jodie-rowlandson