Miguel Bugeja wears his boxing gloves and, as he lifts his padded hands into fighting position, the look in his eyes intensifies into a sharp gaze focused on the punching bag.

Seven-year-old boxing fan is also fighting against leukaemia. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

With fire in his eyes, he hits and punches, letting off steam. When the workout is done, his expression softens back into that of a child.

The seven-year-old inherits his passion for boxing from his grandfather – boxing pioneer Philip Xuereb, known as Lippu l-Boxer. Although he died in 2011, Miguel has memories of him telling him about boxing moves.

But Miguel’s fighting spirit extends beyond the gym – he practises it every day in his fight against leukaemia that has been going on since he was two.

“He’s a courageous boy. He gives us courage,” Miguel’s 28-year-old mother, Marisabelle, says.

“When he was given a high dose of chemotherapy and he got a severe infection, many thought that would be it. But as soon as he felt a bit better, he insisted he wanted to go boxing.

“Whenever he has to spend time in hospital he’s upset because he can’t go boxing,” she says as she holds him close to her.

He’s a courageous boy. He gives us courage

With his hood pulled over his head, Miguel says boxing is very important for him. It gives him energy and strength.

Miguel’s cancer surfaced when he was two. His family had gone swimming in a pool and his mother noticed what looked like a cigarette burn on his back.

Miguel’s grandfather, Lippu l-Boxer.

Doctors said it was a skin infection. But the wound kept growing and Miguel started complaining that his body was hurting him. Tests eventually showed he had leukaemia, he started treatment and all seemed fine.

But three years later – shortly after he started boxing lessons at Lord’s Gym – the cancer resurfaced.

Initially, his mother said, he was meant to have a bone marrow transplant but eventually he was treated with a high dose of chemotherapy. He has to have regular chemotherapy until November.

“When I was meant to go to the UK for the transplant, Rennie [Zerafa] of Puttinu Cares told me I would not have to think about anything except Miguel,” she said.

Every year there are about 12 new cases of children diagnosed with cancer, explains Puttinu Cares Foundation president Victor Calvagna. The foundation was set up in 2002 as a support group for these children.

Since then, Dr Calvagna said, the foundation bought 16 apartments in Sutton, UK, where relatives of patients undergoing overseas treatment can stay. The foundation has €1.4 million left to pay off the newest block of 12 apartments.

But every month over 30 patients go for treatment to the UK, which is why Puttinu dreams that, when all debt is paid, it will start a new project to build more apartments closer to central London, where there are other hospitals.

“It’s more difficult and more expensive but we want to keep going and make a bigger step forward,” Dr Calvagna said as he encouraged people to support the 10th edition of the football marathon on June 6 to 8.

www.puttinucares.org