Heartbroken parents have paid tribute to their five-year-old son who died just seven months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Olivier Roberts was found to have a rare and aggressive type of tumour known as a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) on his brain stem which could not be removed.
As the disease affects the area of the brain responsible for controlling the major functions of the body, Olivier began to lose the use his ability to move, communicate and even breathe despite being fully conscious of what was happening to him. His parents Richard and Marina said that as the tumour advanced, their son was essentially "trapped" in his own body.
Olivier, described as "golden boy" due to his bright blonde hair, died on the afternoon of Saturday, March 26 surrounded by his devastated mum and dad and his three older siblings Aline, seven; Nicole, 10; and Matthew, 16. Sharing the final moments of his life on Facebook, his parents wrote: "We were outside in the garden enjoying the warm spring sunshine when he gasped and then stopped breathing. We took him inside the house and spent several hours holding our sweet little boy. Our dearest Olivier's spirit has left his body. He has fought so hard for so long, particularly in the last few days as he struggled to breathe."
