A FORMER soldier put himself through the pain of having his body hair waxed to raise money for treatment that could save the life of a York boy.

John Hastie got his chest and armpits waxed at Dannie Lea Hair & Beauty, in Micklegate, York, raising almost £800 towards the £250,000 that four-year-old Jamie Inglis’s family still need, to pay for the potential cure for his cancer. Jamie, who has a particularly rare and aggressive form of the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, is spending five weeks in isolation having high dose chemotherapy.

A new antibody treatment recently developed in the United States could ensure that Jamie survives – if his family can raise enough cash to fund it.

John, who is good friends with the Inglis family, said: “All we’re wanting to do is try to raise people’s awareness and try and get people to shove some money in if they can."

He said the waxing was “pretty painful”.

“Let’s just say it hurt,” he said. “Never again."

John, 32, of Strensall, who now works at the York-based firm WYG Engineering Ltd, met Jamie’s father John Inglis about a decade ago when they were squaddies at Imphal Barracks.

“John helped me to move to York,” he said.

The antibody treatment must be administered within 90 days of Jamie finishing his chemotherapy course, which means his parents are in a desperate race against time.

The couple, who have a house in Elvington but currently live in Germany where Army staff sergeant Mr Inglis is based, have so far managed to raise around £50,000.

A website has been set up to collect money for Jamie, and his father said that with all the money that has been pledged, the family probably have about £50,000. Anyone who can help raise or donate money can do so via the website at www.justgiving.com/jamie-appeal