A little boy whose mum thought bruising on his body was caused by him bumping into things was later diagnosed with leukaemia.
Jaxon Crawford, two, was taken to hospital by concerned mum Kelly Brunning as he suffered a constant high temperature.
When doctors found bruising, he was sent to the Countess of Chester Hospital for blood tests which confirmed the youngster had cancer.
Initial tests after the first bout of treatment showed Jaxon - who has a twin brother named Eli and another brother Dylan - needed more intensive chemotherapy.
The treatment caused him to lose his hair, which initially upset him until Kelly reassured him he had “magic hair” which would regrow.
Now, four years on, he has responded well to treatment, but still requires checkups every three months, Cheshire Live reported.
Kelly said: “The last few years have been a really stressful, awful time with so much going on.
“My pregnancy with Dylan wasn’t enjoyable and I felt real guilt by all the time spent away from Dylan and Eli when they were so young.
"I am very proud of Jaxon for settling in so well at primary school and getting on with life.
“I recently panicked when he was covered in bruises and feared he had relapsed, but then he told me he had been playing football with the older boys."
Kelly, who is now aged 30, took early maternity leave from her job with the Post Office, staying at the hospital with Jaxon while Eli was cared for by family at home.
Jaxon was then placed on two years of maintenance treatment which meant taking oral chemotherapy every night at home in addition to ongoing chemotherapy at Alder Hey, lumbar punctures, and steroids.
Kelly explained she had found readjusting to normal life harder than she expected after the regular safety net of seeing doctors and nurses most weeks for three and a half years. More than half of Jaxon’s life has been taken up by illness.
The youngster recently received an award for his bravery, presented with a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award, having been nominated by his mum.
As well as a star-shaped trophy, Jaxon also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card, t-shirt, and a certificate signed by the celebrities. His twin brother Eli received a certificate too.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jane Bullock, said: "Jaxon is a real star who has been through so much at such a young age. It has been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate his courage with a Star Award.
"As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the progress made in the fight against the disease, but there’s still much further to go.
“Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults, from the types of cancer to the impact of treatment - and many youngsters may experience serious long-term side effects.
"That’s why we’re supporting dedicated research to ensure more children and young people survive cancer with a good quality of life.”
