Our son Louis was born on the 14th of November and spent nine wonderful months filling our lives with pride, joy and laughter.

In March due to the ongoing Covid situation we escaped London and moved to stay with Louis' grandparents in Hampshire. We spent a memorable spring together watching him grow, learn to sit up and eat solid food.  He also developed the most wonderful laugh.

In the summer we flew to the south of France to spend an equally special time with his other grandparents and he got to spend time with his uncles and cousins.  We watched as he continued to thrive and learned to love the beach and charm everyone who crossed his path.

At the end of August we took him to hospital, in Nice, to investigate what we thought was a virus. We were told just a day later that he had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. We were preparing for a long fight but he deteriorated quicker than we ever imagined and died in our arms on the 3rd of September, just five days after we came to hospital.

Before dawn on the day that Louis died Claire and I left the hospital to get some air.  We walked to the seafront.  The full moon was big and bright like it was the night that Louis was born and the stars were out over the sea.  We picked a star to remember him by: the middle of the three that make Orion's Belt.  We will remember Louis whenever we look to the night sky and see that star.  It would be a comfort to us to know that the other people who loved Louis were looking in the same direction. 

Louis' loss has been devastating but we're working together to move forward with a lot of wonderful support from friends and family.  Despite the pain that we're feeling now we feel so grateful for the time we had with Louis.

A few people have enquired if they can make a charity donation in Louis' memory. You can do so to the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group through this page.  

Louis also received multiple blood and plasma donations in an effort to save his life.  If you don't do so already please consider registering to donate. 

https://www.blood.co.uk/

https://dondesang.efs.sante.fr/