A five-year-old boy who has been off school for seven months because he has life-threatening cancer can finally attend his lessons – using a robot.
Oscar Saxelby-Lee, from Worcester, was diagnosed with leukaemia in December and is now in hospital having intense treatment.
He had been unable to go to his Reception year lessons at Pitmaston Primary School but can now watch them through a video link and contribute with his friends.
Oscar was 'over the moon' at being able to get at least a little bit of normality back, his mother said, and his friends cheered when it was switched on for the first time.
He is recovering from a bone marrow transplant which was a last-ditch attempt to get rid of his cancer after he inspired thousands of people to turn up to find out whether they were a match at an event at his school in March.
Oscar Saxelby-Lee (left), from Worcester, hasn't been able to go to school since being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December. But now, thanks to the AV1 'Ozzybot' (right) he can watch his teachers and school-friends live through a camera and microphone feed linked up to a tablet or smartphone in his hospital bed
'Oscar was over the moon, his face lit up completely,' said mother Olivia Saxelby, 24.
'It was the first time he'd had a class registration since December so he was really overwhelmed.
'It was an incredible feeling for us as parents for him to get some normality back in his life.'
Oscar can now see and hear what's happening in his classroom thanks to a £300-a-month 'Ozzybot' robot provided through the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust.
The robot has a camera which live streams lessons to a tablet or smartphone in his hospital bed, and a speaker allows him to talk to people on the other end.
It is small enough to be moved about and can rotate to give Oscar a 360° view of the room.
Also known as AV1, the robot even has built-in eyes which let Oscar communicate how he's feeling in class with modes for happy, sad or confused.
Oscar's story hit headlines in March when his parents launched an appeal to find a stem cell match who could give their son a bone marrow transplant.
Doctors had given Oscar just three months to live unless a donor was found.
Oscar can talk to people through a speaker and microphone on the Ozzybot and can use a mobile app to have a 360° view around the classroom
Oscar's headteacher, Sue Bladen, said: 'When Oscar took part in his first school registration this week since December saying "Good morning Mrs Keating" the joy, emotions and cheers from his friends, as you can imagine, were overwhelming' (Pictured: Oscar's classmates talk to him through the robot)
Oscar has been loaned the AV1 robot by a charity called the Grace Kelly Trust – it costs £300 per month for a child to use one (Pictured: Oscar's robot at a table with his classmates)
Olivia Saxelby, Oscar's mother, said her son's face 'lit up' when he first used the robot, adding: 'It was an
