Our Warriors Who Inspire Us

Jack was a gorgeous little boy, full of kindness, fun and laughter and he brought so much happiness to so many. He was very bright and he excelled in maths. He loved his friends and he loved his family. He also enjoyed swimming and football. From the age of 4, Jack had been learning Martial Arts.
In August 2008, Jack was suffering from weight loss, headaches, nausea, double vision and dizziness. On 17th September 2008, our world came crashing down when he was diagnosed with a very rare and incurable brain stem tumour. We were told that Jack needed radiotherapy “to shrink the tumour and buy some extra time”. As of April 2009, Jacks symptoms of headaches, double vision and nausea returned. An MRI scan revealed that the tumour had grown much bigger. The chemotherapy was no longer slowing the growth of the tumour. This is when we were told the terrible news that there was no more treatment. However, Jack’s symptoms of pain and nausea would be controlled as and when they occurred.
By July 2009, Jack became progressively worse; he lost his balance and could no longer walk. He could no longer play football or do martial arts, the things he loved most. He knew he was different from his friends but never complained. In August 2009, Jack lost his speech and communicating became very frustrating for him. We stayed at Little Bridge Children’s Hospice South-West for a short break and Jack liked it so much that we returned again on 17th August. During this stay he became very weak. He lost the ability to swallow; he was having difficulty breathing and was in a lot of pain. He was treated with oxygen and diamorphine.
Jack died at 5am on 31st August 2009, as I held him in my arms. No matter how much time passes, I still miss him and love him more than ever. He was not only my son but my best friend and he was such an inspiration to me as he fought the cancer so bravely.
During Jack’s illness and right up to the end of his life, he kept his cheeky sense of humour and was very brave and strong throughout. He never complained or got upset and his stamina amazed everyone who met him.