Parents receive 'the best Christmas gift, ever'

The parents of a four-year-old boy battling cancer have described being given ‘the best Christmas gift ever”.

Louise Rourke, from Redgrave, recalled how husband Sean arrived home from taking their son, Joe, to hospital last week – with the news they had both been waiting for.

Brave Joe has been battling cancer for the second time in his young life.

“The consultant said we could now treat Joe like any other healthy young boy,” said Louise.

“It really was the best Christmas gift ever.”

Doctors first discovered Joe was suffering from a rare form of lymphoblastic lymphoma when he was 10 months old.

He went through two years of treatment and was given the all clear in August last year, only to be diagnosed with cancer again during a routine check-up in January.

For three months this year, Sean, 53, and Louise, 38, stayed by Joe’s side as he underwent a bone marrow transplant – donated by his six-year-old brother Patrick – at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

This followed 13 weeks of chemotherapy, eight doses of total body radiotherapy, three doses of targeted radiotherapy and a further five doses of chemotherapy.

“Since we came home from Bristol, Joe has gone from strength to strength and we can now take him out and about, as his immune system is recovering so well,” said Louise.

"We’d like to thank everyone for their support this year.”