In loving memory of Rupert Murphy

We are devastated to share the news that Rupert passed away on 24th August 2022.

His family shared this message on social media:

Ru left us very early yesterday. He stayed home and spent the last few days surrounded by family but was in a lot of discomfort and not really with us. It was awful.

Ruperts Story

Rupert was a smart and wise little boy and always eager to impress. He left an impression on everyone he met. He loved shows, especially panto, dinosaurs and everything orange!

After a long wait and IVF Rupert arrived in 2015, followed by his little sister Margot two years later.

In October 2019 Rupert's parents, Alice and Ollie, took him to their GP as he had no appetite and bouts of sickness over a couple of weeks. He was initially admitted to East Surrey Hospital with suspected appendicitis and then to the paediatric surgical unit at St George's Hospital, Tooting.

After an awful week of endless blood draws, scans and finally a biopsy Rupert was diagnosed with a large retroperitoneal tumour, confirmed as high-risk neuroblastoma on 8th November 2019 and he started chemotherapy the following day.

Starting treatment meant that Rupert spent his fourth birthday at the Royal Marsden in Sutton. Rupert endured eight rounds of Rapid COJEC protocol chemotherapy, a nine-hour surgery to remove his tumour, high dose chemo followed by a stem cell transplant and twelve sessions of radiotherapy. He completed his frontline treatment in January 2021.

As a result of chemotherapy, Rupert suffered some hearing loss and kidney damage and developed an allergy to platelet transfusions. He also experienced a lot of anxiety about food and eating.

Throughout all of this treatment, Rupert has thankfully remained his chatty, bossy self. Hes taken great interest in all his medical procedures and his party trick is to recite his name band info - full name, date of birth, hospital number and allergies, says Alice.

Rupert's family were delighted when end of treatment scans in February 2021 showed that Rupert was no evidence of disease and he started school for the first time. In August 2021 during a family holiday, his parents noticed some swelling on his face and an ultrasound confirmed Rupert had relapsed. Rupert received further treatment but sadly the disease progressed.

Rupert passed away on the 24th of August 2022 surrounded by his loved ones.