Geoff Thomas backs Jody Craddock son's cancer fight

Former Wolves captain Geoff Thomas today backed Jody Craddock's son Toby to beat leukaemia – but said he faced a tough battle.

Wolves announced yesterday that the youngest of defender Mr Craddock's three sons, aged two-and-a-half, is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia(ALL) and has started a lengthy treatment at Birmingham Children's Hospital.

It is the most common cancer diagnosed in children but with improvements in diagnosis and treatment the overall cure rate for childhood ALL is more than 80 per cent.

Mr Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003 but made a full recovery after, at one stage, being given three months to live.

Now aged 47, Mr Thomas survived after having a bone marrow transplant from his sister. "I think when you're an adult going through it, it's bad enough but it's such a huge worry when you're a parent of a child suffering from it," he said.

"I had kids of age 10 and seven when I was diagnosed so that's bad enough because you think how much time you've got left with them.

"But having been through what I've been through over the last few years, I have seen so many strides made in the treatment to overcome it.

"Over the last 10 or 15 years, incredible things have happened to allow survival rates to increase dramatically. What he will go through over the next few years is tough, but there's a good chance he will make a full recovery."

Wolves manager Terry Connor said: "Everyone connected with the club will be devastated to hear the news about Toby, and will want to offer all their love and support to Jody, his wife Shelley and their three boys.

"We are comforted to hear that the programme of treatment will give Toby a very good chance of a full recovery, and we know that, at Birmingham Children's Hospital, he is in the best possible hands."

In August 2002, the couple's four-month-old son Jake died from suspected cot death.