On the BBC’s The Repair Shop, viewers once again reached for their tissues as a grandfather and his stepson recounted their heartbreaking loss.
Grandfather Quentin and his stepson Tim Stockwell visited the famous barn in the hope of restoring a valuable item that Tim’s son Miles had given his grandfather. The much-loved gift, an adorable garden bee figurine, was given to Quentin in 2014.
The garden bee was damaged and, due to its tin composition, had been “affected by the elements.” However, when speaking to the experts at the repair shop, Quentin revealed that Miles had tragically lost his battle with osteosarcoma – a serious form of bone cancer.
Miles sadly died at the tender age of 15, just months before the episode was filmed. As he described what Miles had been through, Quentin became visibly distressed and began to cry, reports the Express.
Unable to continue telling his story, Tim bravely stepped in. He said: ‘Eighteen months ago, Miles was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a very, very aggressive bone cancer.
And then he had to have his leg amputated. He was a very athletic boy, so it was horrible to see him go through that.”
“He did it like he did everything in his life, with enthusiasm and the thought: ‘I can do this!’ But unfortunately he lost the battle against cancer. He was 15,” explained Tim.
After hearing the heartbreaking story, fans of the show took to social media to share their reactions to the episode being rerun, with one viewer commenting: “It’s a rerun but I’m still crying. Life is so damn unfair to good people.”
Another viewer expressed his hopes by saying, “Oh I hope they manage to save the bee.” Followed by a crying face emoji.
Fortunately, the experts at The Repair Shop were able to restore Quentin’s garden bee. The head, which had previously detached from the body, was repaired and the paint was restored, making the ornament look as good as new.
Before Tim and Quentin’s appearance on the show, Quentin had already initiated a fundraiser for the Bone Cancer Research Trust in memory of his “sporty, cheeky, funny and loving” grandson. Over £20,000 has reportedly been raised in his name since his grandson’s death on New Year’s Eve 2022 – 14 months after his diagnosis.
