In loving memory of Callum-Lee Peers

We are devastated to share the news that Callum-Lee passed away on 16th May 2020.

Callum-Lee's mum Nicola shared this message on social media:

"My precious boy went to sleep on Saturday afternoon. He is so beautiful and peaceful, we are at the children's hospice until I bring him home. I am so so proud of you my baby being so strong, and I'm staying strong for you my beautiful boy. You are such a brave strong fighter like you've always been. I love you so so much xx"

Callum-Lees story

In November 2012 Callum-Lee became unwell. He had a high temperature and pains in his stomach. By Christmas, he was still not getting better and his worried parents took him to hospital.

The doctor at hospital thought Callum-Lees stomach muscles were going into spasm and referred him for further tests. But his condition worsened as they waited and his parents took him back to their local GP who referred them to the Royal Albert Edward Hospital in Wigan to see a paediatric doctor.

On 1st March 2013, Callum-Lee and his family visited the hospital where the doctor was concerned that Callum-Lees tummy was hard and swollen. Callum-Lee then had blood tests which doctors believed showed he had an infection for which they prescribed antibiotics.

Callum-Lee was discharged after a week. By June he was limping and unable to put any weight on his leg, he had stopped eating and even collapsed at nursery. Doctors diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis on 14th June and referred Callum-Lee to another doctor at Alder Hey Childrens Hospital in Liverpool. On 24th June Callum-Lee visited the doctor who diagnosed neuroblastoma after examining Callum-Lee for just fifteen minutes.

We were absolutely devastated, explains Callum-Lees mother Nicola.

We knew we had a poorly little boy on our hands but cancer was definitely not something we anticipated.

Callum-Lee went through chemotherapy and had surgery to remove the tumour, after which he had his stem cells harvested and transplanted back into his body to boost his immune system.

Callum-Lees scans came back with no evidence of the disease in December 2014 and life began to get back to normal.

In the two years, he was in remission we started to enjoy some sort of normality as a family. Callum-Lee went back to school and made new friends, and we went on caravan holidays, continues Nicola.

In January 2017 a lump appeared on the right side of Callums neck. I contacted his consultant who then sent him for an ultrasound scan and a biopsy it was confirmed as neuroblastoma.

Callum-Lee went on to relapse twice more and went through 12 months of chemo regime on the BEACON trial, followed by an oral chemotherapy drug to battle against this devastating childhood cancer.

In August 2018, the family were told the cancer had returned in his neck, in his spine and near his pelvis. In May 2019, Callum's disease returned in his spine and he had emergency surgery to remove 95% of the tumour.

Devastatingly Callum-Lee passed away on 16th May 2020.