A BIG appeal has been launched to fulfil a 21-year-old Royal Bournemouth Hospital worker’s dying wish to return to his homeland.

Filipino Kent Ericta was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer last year.

After six months of treatment he returned to work in the hospital’s housekeeping department.

A further lump was found in his abdomen in December – and doctors recently decided to stop further chemotherapy as it was not having any effect on the disease.

Popular Kent, who is suffering from Burkitt’s lymphoma, is now being cared for in ward 11 at the hospital where he worked.

His mother Maria, who is also a member of the hospital’s housekeeping team, said: “The staff are very nice to him.

“They love him so much and try their best. I’m going to take my son back to the Philippines – it’s his dying wish.”

Her colleagues have circulated an email to all staff in the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals asking them to make a small donation to help the family, who live in Charminster.

Maria, who also has a younger son, has been settled in Bourne-mouth for the last six years and last visited the Philippines in 2010.

Housekeeping supervisor Terry Burt, who issued the appeal, said: “Help with donations from all of us will enable the family to fly Kent home where he was born.

“We can only pray for this and hope our prayers will be answered.”