A brave young boy who had an infectious smile died surrounded by his family as his "broken" parents pledge to make a difference.
Aaron Wharton was just four years old when his mum Nicola noticed he had a lopsided smile and was being sick. Despite being numerous visits to the doctor, he was eventually diagnosed with Anaplastic Ependymoma during the 2020 lockdown and spent a lot of time in and out of Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Earlier this year, doctors told the North Wales family that it was a "waiting game" as his health declined, but Aaron remained strong and brave throughout. Tragically, while on holiday in a caravan Aaron loved, he rapidly deteriorated.
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The schoolboy died at Hope House Hospice in Tŷ Gobaith on Sunday, April 9 with parents Nicola and Lee by his side. The couple have pledged to continue doing all they can to raise awareness of the disease that claimed their only child.
Nicola said: "We’re both completely broken, trying to put one foot in front of the other. I desperately want to do everything I can to keep his memory alive and we can only do this by talking about the disease and putting it in front of people."
Despite gruelling treatment and learning to speak again, Aaron's tumour returned in 2021 meaning he underwent another intense operation. He then had to have further surgery before further radiotherapy treatment at the Clatterbridge Centre and then 12-weeks of chemotherapy from December to April 2022.
However, in September 2022 the doting parents were told his cancer had spread and earlier this year treatment was stopped. Paying tribute to her brave son, Nicola told the ECHO: "He was incredibly brave through it all and did it all with a smile on his face. He had a get up and go ethic about him and was the epiphany of inspiration.
"He had an infectious smile as well, everyone would melt in front of him and he had a great sense of humour. At one time in hospital we were waiting for the nurses and he told them it was completely unacceptable, he had everyone in stitches.
"We spent Christmas in hospital and he was picking up the phones at the nurses station, he was into Mario Karts and would answer the phone saying 'It's me Mario', he was so funny."
Nicola said: "He'd been going to school right up until they broke up for Easter and we had gone to Porthmadog this was the place he loved the most but he started deteriorating and showing signs of tumour progression."
In the three years he was living with the disease, Aaron and his family saw milestones that many parents assume are promised. His mum added: "We kept life as conventional as possible for Aaron, encouraging him to live the life a normal little boy should.
"I think it was this attitude which saw him not only survive, but thrive. It allowed us to make memories including Aaron walking out with Wrexham FC as a mascot in October 2022."
In her son's memory, Nicola is looking to organise a fire walk to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. This will be held at Wrexham FC on May 19 as anyone wishing to take part or sponsor is urged to contact Nicola. For more information, and to donate, click here.
She said: "Who knows what could be achieved in a day. Brain tumours don't get as much coverage, there's so little investment and yet it's one of the biggest killers. People are still dying and we need to do all we can to help find a cure.
"We don't want another family to go through the pain and torture we've gone through over the last three years. Hopefully one day someone will say they survived. We are desperately trying to get exposure from Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds for the event too."
One in three people knows someone affected by a brain tumour. They kill more children than leukaemia, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "We’re so sorry at the loss of Aaron to this cruel disease. Nicola and Lee have been generous in sharing their time, and Aaron’s story, with us over the last three years. Aaron had the most infectious smile and it’s one that many of the team at Brain Tumour Research will remember."
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