A 12-year-old boy died in hospital days after his family received a phone call while on holiday at Center Parcs telling them he needed to go into hospital. Edward Hunstone's were called while they were on holiday at the end of January. He died on February 22 this year.
Edward had been diagnosed with grade two pilomyxoid astrocytoma - a type of brain tumour - when he was three, after he started being "randomly sick". At first doctors said it was a food intolerance.
Medics eventually found a mass on his brain and he underwent chemotherapy for eight years. In 2020 he needed a shunt installed to draw fluid away from his brain and in 2021 Edward lost the vision in his right eye, reports The Echo.
In January this year, while on a break at Center Parcs, the family got a call from doctors to say Edward needed to have a bone marrow biopsy. Edward had the procedure on January 18 and the next day his family was told Edward had acute myeloid leukaemia.
Nan Tracy said: "They did another [bone marrow biopsy] in January, I can’t remember the exact date but it was a Wednesday, and by the Thursday he was in hospital and never left.”
Edward Hunstone, from Moreton, was just 12 when he tragically died (Image: Sam Hunstone)
Mum Sam Hunstone, 40, said: “Edward was a little nutter, he really was, but he was so sweet as well. Say if he had pocket money, the others would just spend theirs, but he would sit and think.
“Say there were two things he wanted, he would take about an hour to decide which one he wanted. He wouldn’t just go ‘mum get me the other one’.
“He was also the first person to offer you money if you needed it. He would say ‘oh I have my pocket money if you need it’. He was so sweet. We are all so proud of him.”
His nan Tracy said: “Edward had no filter, he would say it exactly how it was. He was amazing. He loved arts, he loved crafts, he loved going out for night drives. Especially through covid because he couldn’t mix with other people."
She added: “He was a right little character and said exactly what he thought. He was amazing. He had such a fight.”
The family now want to give Edward "the best send off he deserves" and have set up a GoFundMe page to help with fundraising.
Tracy said: "We are absolutely devastated Edward lost his fight on February 22 at 9am, our hearts are broken, and we want to give Edward the send off he absolutely deserves. He was 12-years-old and absolutely touched so many hearts.
"He was one of a kind and never, ever should this have happened to him. He was amazing fighter and fought right to the end, everybody loved him who met him. Please if you can help Edward get the send off he deserves."
To donate to the GoFundMe, please click here.
