Amanda's Story

Charlie was my son — my beautiful blue-eyed boy — but more than that, he was my best friend.

We had a bond that's hard to explain unless you've felt it. We spoke about everything. There was nothing he wouldn't share with me. We leaned on each other through everything and faced life side by side.

Charlie always thought about others. He always considered me, always appreciated everything we did for him — that was just who he was.

Richard, Charlie's stepdad, had an unbelievable bond with him. They loved each other like father and son — a relationship built on respect, support and genuine love.

I honestly don't know how to explain what this has done to us.

I'm his mum. I'm meant to protect him.

And no matter what we did... we couldn't save him. Somehow, we ran out of time.

When Charlie became ill, everything changed. But what never changed was who he was — strong, kind, determined, and always thinking of others, even when he was the one going through the most.

Watching your child go through cancer is something no parent can ever prepare for.

And losing him... It changed everything.

There are no words that truly capture that. This was not how it was supposed to be.

We never wanted Charlie to be a legacy. We wanted him here — living his life, doing what he loved, being exactly who he was.

But we are left with his legacy — and with a responsibility to carry it forward in a way that truly reflects him.

The Charlie Boy Foundation is built from that love, that loss, and that promise.

A promise that Charlie's life will continue to make a difference. A promise that other families will feel supported when they need it most. A promise that he will never be forgotten.

We are incredibly grateful for the 20 years we had with Charlie — the wonderful moments, and even the not so wonderful ones... because that was Charlie. Real, honest, and completely himself.

Everything we do is for Charlie 💙

This foundation is how I keep being Charlie's mum — just in a different way now.

— Amanda Woods