A young boy with an "infectious" grin tragically passed away during an operation to try and save his life. Bradley James George Tweedy, 12, could not talk or eat but charmed those around him with his massive smile.
The child, from Bedlington, Northumberland, was born with a number of health conditions and spent the first year of his life in hospital. When he arrived into the world six weeks early, he was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia - which caused the organs in his abdomen to move up into the right side of his chest.
The youngster was also born with two oesophagus conditions. The top of his oesophagus did not form properly and was not connected to his stomach, Chronicle Live reports.
The condition, known as oesophageal atresia, meant that food was not able to reach his stomach. The second condition, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, left parts of his oesophagus connected to his windpipe.
Bradley underwent procedures as a baby to repair the conditions which included four fistulas (abnormal connections), and made it home from hospital ten days after his first birthday. Throughout his life, he had a breathing tube in his neck and a feeding tube directly into his stomach.
Bradley was also diagnosed with scoliosis, which caused his spine to curve, autism and epilepsy. Despite his poor health, Bradley lived a happy life with his mum Terrie Maddison, 40, his dad Peter Tate, 40, and his siblings Alisha Martin, 20, Abbi Tate, 18, Olivia Tweedy, 11, and Jesse Tate, seven.
Earlier this year, Terrie became concerned about a rattle on his chest and asked doctors to have a look at his airway. She was devastated when they discovered he had another fistula between his oesophagus and his windpipe.
Terrie said she was given the choice of turning his ventilator off or giving him a risky operation which could save his life. She opted for surgery but sadly Bradley died from a cardiac arrest during the operation at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle on May 31.
Terrie, who works as a customer service advisor for EE, said: "I could tell Bradley wasn't himself. I begged them to have a look down his airway. Never in a million years did I think it could be a fistula. It was totally unexpected and totally out of the blue.
"A fistula is a connection between the feeding tube and the breathing tube, it's not something you can live with. No one could believe he was alive.
"The surgery was near impossible. His anatomy was not in the right place and his ribs were fused together. It can take time to find a fistula before they try and repair it. Bradley didn't have a strong airway. His little body, during the whole process, was under immense pressure.
"Bradley's fought all his life to be here and he was so incredible, I couldn't not give him that chance. We gave him the surgery and it was supposed to be a 10 hour operation. After five hours his heart stopped and he had a cardiac arrest on the operating table. It was devastating for everyone.
"Bradley was so strong and so determined and resilient, even when he was clinically unwell you really couldn't tell that much. He absolutely loved life, he was the most happiest little soul in the world. His smile was massive and infectious."
Terrie and Peter, who has his own traffic management company, have been supported by close friends who have rallied around to help them. Over the years, they have supported Bradley's Smile Trust, which was set up to raise funds for two places close to the families' hearts. They are:
- Little Miracles - a play group for children with additional needs. It was used by Bradley as his family when he was younger.
- Crawford House, run by The Sick Children's Trust at the RVI. They housed Bradley's family so they could be close to him during his more prolonged hospital stays.
Over the weekend, 23 men, including Peter, walked from Carlisle to Wallsend for Bradley's Smile Trust. Three people also gave up their time to support the group along the route. It took them three days to complete the 68 miles and they arrived at the Segedunum Roman Fort in Wallsend at 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
The fundraising event, organised by family friend Michael Coulson, 36, has already raised around £8,000 and money is still being collected. Terrie said: "it's incredible, it makes such a difference.
"It was so emotional. Peter was an absolute wreck crossing the finish line, it was hard to watch. I think everyone felt it at the end. They kept up each others spirits along the way and everyone was waiting for them at the end.
"We've got a really close network of friends and it's their husbands and friends who were doing it. There were people that I've never even met before which is really special. The whole community has come together. It's just overwhelming."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
