Tributes were paid to Kirkby's very own Superman who will be "forever 4" as he was laid to rest today.
Lee-Joshua Hodgson lost his battle with a rare form of cancer aged four on June 26. Today, the whole community came out in force to pay their respects.
It was an emotional day for friends and family as they embraced one another and shared their memories of the young boy who touched the hearts of all in Kirkby and beyond. Even those who did not know the youngster directly, but have been moved by his journey, lined the streets.
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One person described the four-year-old as a "lovely lad with a cheeky smile" as another said he was "our very own Superman". Arriving at the family's home address, the horse-drawn hearse was complete with superhero drapes and superhero inspired flowers.
Standing close by were loved ones wearing Lee's favourite colour green or t-shirts with a photograph of the young boy beaming. As the procession was led through the streets of Kirkby, people stopped to pay their respects, before the hearse arrived at St Joseph and St Laurence Church for a moving service.
One person told the ECHO : "Every fundraising event I've been to, he's always been happy and smiling, he never looked down or anything. You'd look at him and his personality and you wouldn't think he was sick.
"He's touched the hearts of the local people, he's a local lad and it's clear to see Kirkby has come to pay their respects. It's so sad, life isn't fair sometimes. My Granddaughter Mya Stuart has dressed up as Elsa several times, she's walking with him today, she's been very upset. Lee loved her."
Back in 2020, baby Lee was told his cough was a viral infection, but it did not get any better. After finding a lump on his knee and told it could be a cyst, the family found themselves in hospital on Christmas Day where scans showed he had stage four metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma alveolar. The disease is an extremely rare and aggressive cancer that forms in soft tissue.
Sine then, the youngster had been to and from hospital, battling the disease after he was given just a five to 10% chance of survival. But his dedicated parents refused to give up the fight, and with the community behind them they began to fundraise for private treatment.
Lee went abroad for treatment, but sadly it was unsuccessful and he died in June after a two year battle.
Superheroes Batman, Iron-man, Captain America and Spiderman as well as Wonder-Woman and Elsa walked alongside the coffin during Thursday's funeral. Speaking about Lee, one woman said: "I didn't know him directly but my daughter is friends with his mum and I've been following his journey. It's so sad. The whole community has supported him from the start."
Previously speaking to the ECHO, mum Keishia Murphy said her young superhero was the "most perfect in the world" as he was "kind, caring, generous, happy and funny" with aspirations of being a bin man or a builder. As he "fought with every last breath", the community support has been "amazing", which saw Lee "still fighting at the end."
She added her son's favourite colour was green and he "hated the colour orange", so much so when their homemade bracelet had one orange bead, he "wanted to paint it a different colour". Despite being given a five to 10% chance of survival, baby Lee continued his fight, attending many fundraising events to help fund private treatment.
Leaving a tribute online, his parents wrote: "They say memories are golden, well maybe that is true. We never wanted memories, We only wanted you."
The tribute from sister Delilah and baby brother Sonny read: "We only had you for a little while, but we began to notice your individual style, with painted fingers and painted toes, how much we miss you, only mum and dad knows."
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