HUNDREDS of toddlers are expected to descend on Walton Gardens this weekend for a sponsored infants walk in aid of a three-year-old who is suffering from leukaemia.

Friends and family have rallied to help three-year-old George Rooza since he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in January.

The youngster faces up to four years of treatment including chemotherapy that will weaken his immune system, meaning that George will not be able to play in the park or go to parties with his friends as any infections he picks up could have serious health implications.

But George’s friends and family are looking to raise £5,000 so that they can transform the garden of their Woolston home in to a space safe where he can play with his brother and sister Oliver, 10, and Harriet, seven.

Sarah Poole, who became friends with George’s mum Lisa Neild through birthing classes the Wiltshire Close resident used to run, has helped to organise what is hoped will be the UK’s largest toddle waddle at Walton Gardens this Saturday.

The event will see hundreds of the youngsters embark on a sponsored walk around the park.

She said: “When I heard about George’s diagnosis I was devastated – as a parent you can’t imagine being given that news.

“We all made friends through doing the birth classes and kept in touch with Lisa – she’s a bubbly, lovely girl.

“We’ve all got children around the same age as George so when we heard the news we knew we had to try and do something – it’s unimaginable really.

“Myself and some other friends who had attended Lisa’s birth classes wanted to give something back and we came up with the idea of a toddle waddle on St George’s Day for a special George.”

Nearly £4,000 has already been raised for the garden, and it is hoped that the family fun day, which will also see youngsters dressed up as knights for St George’s Day, will push the total even closer to their fundraising target.

Sarah added: “We hope to be able to achieve Lisa’s dream by raising enough money to create a safe place for George to play while undergoing treatment.

“They can’t take him to a lot of public places because he is likely to pick up infections and that has a big impact on having family days out.

“George doesn’t understand why he can’t go to nursery or his friends’ parties or go to play in the park.

“We want to create a safe environment for George in their garden and when he’s well enough he can have friends over.”

Lisa, 33, had to give up her Lazy Daisy Birth Classes after George’s diagnosis and has also been forced to postpone her wedding, which was planned for this summer.

She said: “In a way the treatment is worse than the actual disease and we want to make the garden a nice place for the kids and us to escape to.

“Even people we don’t know that well are helping us and we’ve had people who have made our tea for us when we’ve spent all day at the hospital with George.

“People just want to make things a little bit easier for us.

“It’s really heart-warming to see how people have reacted and how many people care – it makes me feel quite emotional thinking about it.”

The toddle waddle, which takes place between 10am-12pm, is free to enter with participants asked to raise sponsorship money.

To donate go to gofundme.com/GeorgieRoo or to follow Lisa's blog on George's journey go to mummyroo.co.uk.