A two-year-old twin boy was diagnosed with leukaemia after medics spotted bruising around his body.
Mum Kelly Brunning became concerned about her son's health when he had a high temperature. The 30-year-old took him to out-of-hours medics who then spotted a bruise on Jaxon's stomach.
Kelly Brunning thought it was due to him bumping himself as he had also just been diagnosed with an eye condition. But when the bruising didn't disappear, Jaxon was sent to the Countess of Chester Hospital for blood tests and this is when Kelly was given the shock news that Jaxon had cancer.
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Jaxon Crawford, who is now six, was admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital immediately. At the time, single mum Kelly, from Blacon, near Upton, was six months pregnant with the twins’ younger brother Dylan, who is now aged four.
Jaxon was given 30 days of steroids as well as starting intensive chemotherapy, Cheshire Live reports. Kelly took early maternity leave from her job with the Post Office, staying at the hospital with Jaxon while his twin brother Eli was cared for by family at home. Initial tests after the first bout of treatment showed Jaxon needed even more intensive chemotherapy.
Jaxon was then placed on two years of maintenance treatment which meant taking oral chemotherapy every night at home in addition to ongoing chemotherapy at Alder Hey, lumbar punctures and steroids. Jaxon is now 12 months out of treatment and doing well but he still needs check-ups every three months.
Kelly said: "The last few years have been a really stressful, awful time with so much going on. My pregnancy with Dylan wasn’t enjoyable and I felt real guilt by all the time spent away from Dylan and Eli when they were so young.
"I am very proud of Jaxon for settling in so well at primary school and getting on with life. I recently panicked when he was covered in bruises and feared he had relapsed, but then he told me he had been playing football with the older boys."
Jaxon, a pupil at Dee Point Primary School, has now received an award for his bravery. He has been presented with a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award, in partnership with TK Maxx, having been nominated by his mum.
Every child nominated receives the accolade, which is backed by a host of famous faces including celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, TV personality Dr Ranj and popular children’s TV presenter Mister Maker.
As well as a star shaped trophy, Jaxon also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card, t-shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrities. His twin brother Eli received a certificate too.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jane Bullock, said: "Jaxon is a real star who has been through so much at such a young age. It has been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate his courage with a Star Award.
"As we mark our 20 th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the progress made in the fight against the disease, but there’s still much further to go. Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults, from the types of cancer to the impact of treatment - and many youngsters may experience serious long-term side effects.
"That’s why we’re supporting dedicated research to ensure more children and young people survive cancer with a good quality of life. We’re urging people in Cheshire to nominate inspirational children like Jaxon for a Star Award now, so that many more affected by this devastating disease can receive the acknowledgement they so richly deserve."
To nominate a star visit cruk.org/starawards.
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