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On Wednesday 11/11/2015, Rememberance day, our beloved Son Tom lost his outstandingly courageous battle against HLH (Haemophagocytic-lymphohistiocytosis). & Lymphoma. 

Whilst I cradled Tom in my arms in the final few hours of his life, I made a promise to Tom. I promised him that I would raise money in his memory for research into, and treatments for, patients with HLH. Honouring my promise to Tom, I have set up this 'Just giving' page in his memory. YOUR donations are so desperately needed to stop people like Tom suffering & dying from this very, very cruel disease, and getting it in the first place.

Please, please make a donation in memory of Tom. Tell our Son Tom's story to all your friends and colleagues. Continue and build upon the remarkable fight that Tom so bravely fought against this so very cruel disease.

YOUR donation however large or small, WILL make a HUGE difference.

Tom's broken hearted family, Mum Gillian, Myself Stuart,(Dad), his Brothers Ben & Samuel, will take pride and comfort in seeing the donation total build in memory of our very special and beloved Tom. We  all thankyou for your generosity.

Tom became Ill in January of this year (2015), At first he had what appeared to be just a normal cold, after a couple of weeks however he began feeling very unwell, it became clear there was something much more serious going on. Tom visited his GP for the first time in over ten years. Blood samples were duly taken & sent away for testing. The following day Tom returned to see his Doctor to be told that his blood test results were very abnormal, & that he needed to get to A&E at Frimley Park hospital asap.

On arrival, Tom was seriously unwell. Over the following days an exhaustive array of tests and scan's began to discover what was wrong. Tom's symptoms, scan, biopsy and blood test results were all very unusual /abnormal. It took ten days of tests & scans before a diagnosis had been made, and a specific treatment plan began. We were told that Tom had HLH, a very rare immune system disorder. Just like yourselves when reading this, none of us had ever heard of this disease. The doctors themselves all had very little if any experience of HLH. Tom's case was referred to University College Hospital London (UCLH), specialists in blood disorders & Cancer.

The following day we received even more bad news, in adition to HLH Tom also had Lymphoma of the liver & spleen.

Since being first admitted into hospital in mid Feb 2015, Tom endured a total of 40 (fourty) very long weeks of hospital treatment. This was split between Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, & University College Hospital in London (UCLH). and the Macmillan Cancer centre.

In total, Tom spent 20 (twenty) weeks as an in-patient in either an Haemotology Isolation ward, in intensive care, or in a High dependency unit. Tom spent a further 20 (twenty) weeks as an out-patient, returning to hospital for treatments up to 3 (three) times a week.

During his illness Tom recieved 4 programmes of chemotherapy, the side effects of these all being very unpleasant. A fifth programme was planned to begin 2 days before he died. 

During his time in hospital, a few hours following a diagnostic spleen biopsy on June 19th, Tom suffered massive internal bleeding. Unable to stop the bleed Tom underwent major emergency surgery to remove his spleen. Tom very nearly died during this, he was very lucky to survive.  

Throughout his illness Tom received countless blood transfusions & blood products ie Platelets, Tom recieved very many gallons of blood. Without the generosity of blood donors, Tom would have died very early on in his illness. Our sincere thanks to all of you who donate blood, every day you give people like our Tom the gift of life. I encourage all of you to consider giving blood yourselves. Take pride in the knowledge that you have saved the life of someone like Tom, and how extremely grateful they and their families all are to you.

On Sunday 1st Nov, during a brief few days break from hospital prior to commencement of a 5th programme of chemo, we moved Tom home to live with us. Throughout his 3rd day at home with us his health deteriorated. By the evening he was seriously unwell. an ambulance was called, this took him straight into intensive care. After 3 days Tom was well enough to be transferred to a Haemotology Isolation ward. Only hours following this transfer Tom's condition again deteriorated. We were soon to be told that nothing more could be done for Tom, he was dying.

Three days later, on 11/11/2015, Remembrance day, whilst in Gillian's and My arms, Tom died.  For three days ourselves, Ben & Samuel, nursed, comforted and loved Tom. We were all there for him when he needed us. The grief and pain that Gillian, Myself, Ben & Sam are now feeling is beyond words, our hearts are broken. 

 Tom was dearly loved by so many truly amazing relatives and friends. The sorrow and grief that they too are now feeling is every bit as painful as it is to us his family.

We will all love and miss you terribly Tom. You are forever in our hearts and minds.

  Mum, Dad, Ben & Sam.