On the eve of 2018, little Larsen Roberts told his mum his new year's resolution was to read and write. Holly Roberts supported her son - "a really clever little boy" who wanted to learn everything from a very young age - despite the fact he was still in nursery.
But the next two years proved to be "horrific" as the family-of-four received a devastating diagnosis that Larson had a brain tumour. Holly fought medical opinion as she was initially told her three-year-old son's tumour was benign, but she knew deep down that "something didn't feel right".
In the weeks before Christmas, 2019, Larsen died as his little body succumbed to a brutally high dose of chemotherapy - a last ditch attempt to stop the tumour growing, which by now had spread to his spine. He was just five years old, but even as he underwent surgery and daily radiotherapy treatment, Larsen started school with his peers determined to realise his dream of learning to read and write. You can get more health news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
