A foster couple have spoken of their heartbreak following the death of their adopted son, who was once branded the baby that "no one wanted". Callum suffered serious injury as a toddler, which left him blind and deaf, and he was also diagnosed with quadriplegia cerebral palsy and epilepsy, the Mirror reports.
Not expected to survive past two years old, Callum defied all odds and lived to the age of 27. Following his death in April this year, his adopted parents, Beryl and Murray Horton, say they their lives now feel "empty" and that they desperately miss his "smile and laughter".
Callum was found "apparently lifeless" at the home of his birth parents, Gail Woodward and Mark Chamberlain, in 1995. He had sustained severe brain damage and was left blind, deaf and in need of a wheelchair.
The youngster's parents pleaded guilty to wilful neglect for failing to take him to hospital and and were sentenced to two years' probation. Judge John Shand told Stafford Crown Court at the time: "We shall never know precisely how or where or when the damage to the boy occurred."
However, little Callum's luck changed at the age of three months, when he was fostered by Beryl and Murray, who gave him a loving home. The couple legally adopted Callum and helped him to live his life to the fullest, encouraging his interests which included swimming and horses.
Beryl, 82, and 94-year-old Murray had spent many years fostering teenagers, and wanted to adopt Callum after being told "no one wanted" him.
Beryl said: "He wasn't sure what was happening [when he came home] after all he had gone through. All we could do was comfort him and love him. We took him everywhere. Fostering a boy like Callum was a 24-7 thing. Now we just don't know what to do with ourselves.
"Life is so empty. He's not there to smile at you. He couldn't do anything for himself, but he was a cheeky little soul. We really miss his smile and his laughter. We still talk to him every day as if he's still here."
Callum lived far longer than doctors had predicted, and he also partially regained his sight and his hearing. By the time he was two, Callum's hearing had returned and, by age 20, he was able to see by wearing glasses.
But Callum had been left unable to speak when the tracheostomy tube helping him breathe cut off his vocal cords. Murray said: "Callum loved swimming, but didn't like cold water. He would always dip his feet out if it was too cold."
The Hortons are well known in their hometown of Willington, Derbyshire, for supporting people with special needs. The couple ran Burton's CREST group for 40 years, until it closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Thanks to the money raised by the CREST group, Callum was able to enjoy the bikes that had been designed specifically for people with special needs at Shobnall Leisure Complex. CREST would meet four times a week and run swimming lessons, trampolining sessions, horse-riding classes and days out. It eventually attracted 80 members.
Beryl was awarded a British Empire Medal and the couple received a Queen's Award, while Beryl even carried the torch through Burton during the London 2012 Olympics. After 27 years of loving and caring for Callum, Beryl and Murray are now lost without their adored son.
His funeral attracted hundreds of people, with a total of 150 mourners wearing lilac: his favourite colour. As a horse-lover, Callum's hearse was a white horse-drawn carriage.
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