A courageous Southport schoolboy will spend Christmas in hospital after undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
Everyone in the town will be wishing all the best to Lewis Wright, aged 14, as he continues to battle cancer with a smile and a positivity that inspires everyone he meets.
His mum Kayleigh Sherran said: “I couldn’t be any more proud of my boy and how he copes in such horrendous, heartbreaking circumstances.”
Lewis was initially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in July 2020, just four days before his 12th birthday.
The Birkdale High School pupil then endured a tough few months of gruelling chemotherapy treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool before he was declared cancer free in March 2021.
Boyzone star Ronan Keating was so impressed by Lewis’ bravery – and an online video of him singing – that he phoned him to wish him well during his initial ordeal.
Sadly for Lewis and his family their lives all came “crashing down” again in August this year when he began developing symptoms.
He is now in hospital recovering after undergoing a bone marrow transplant operation last Friday (16th December 2022), with his family hoping to see him home in the new year.
His Mum Kayleigh Sherran has nominated Lewis for a Child Of Courage Award in the new Pride Of Sefton Awards after being inspired by his resilience.
She said: “A few people have messaged asking how Lewis is doing since his transplant on Friday.
“The transplant itself was very straight forward, it goes in a lot like a blood transfusion via his central line.
“He slept through the majority of it but was awake to press the start button on the machine to begin his next journey.
“He’s so far had a mixture of side effects, as always with Lew his body likes to throw in a good mixture not just the odd one or two. So…. so far he’s had sickness, lethargy, bone pain, muscle pain, diarrhoea, itchy rash, loss of appetite, mucositis and jaundice. These side effects come from a mixture of side effects from the chemotherapy and side effects from the transplant itself.
“The dietician has put him back on TPN (nutrition given through his line) due to him not being able to keep anything down at all.
“While not asleep or being sick Lewis is in good spirits despite everything and as always not complained once.”
It has been a very difficult time for Lewis’ family.
Kayleigh said: “It’s been another tough year. Lewis was initially diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in July 2020 at the age of 12, he had a really rough time with treatment but battled his way through after eight hard months of gruelling chemotherapy, infections and many, many side effects.
“In March 2021 he finally got the all-clear and rang the end of treatment bell. As a family we couldn’t have been happier, we could finally see a future despite knowing that he was at high risk of his cancer returning.
“All was going well. Lewis was back in school and living life to the full until our lives came crashing down again on 29th August this year. Lewis started showing symptoms, he was pale, he was bruising from the slightest touch and he was having nose bleeds regularly.
“Myself and Lewis’ stepdad Stu took him to Alder Hey at 3pm for blood tests, at 6pm I received a phone call from the oncology consultant saying I was to bring Lewis into hospital as his cancer had returned.
“For a 14-year-old boy to have to go through this once was horrific but to go through it twice is truly awful.
“This time round due to it being a relapse he had to endure chemotherapy that was twice as strong as previously.
“He spent August to 5th December in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool having chemotherapy.
“The side effects hit him hard but as always Lewis never complains and just gets on with it.
“He spent a week in the High Dependency Unit and was told there was a high chance he would end up in intensive care due to a severe fungal infection in his lungs. He was hooked up to machines to assist his breathing and was really really poorly.
“As a family we have never been so scared in our lives.
“He came out the other side though and completed his treatment which leads us to now being in Manchester Children’s Hospital where Lewis has had further intense chemotherapy and has just received a full Bone Marrow Transplant on Friday 16th December.
“Lewis again is suffering severe side effects from this and on even more medication.
“He will remain in Manchester in an isolation room until he is well enough to come home which means unfortunately he will spend Christmas in hospital.
“He can’t have any visitors other than myself and Stu by his side which means he also has to spend Christmas away from his sister and his family.
“This will stay the same until he is able to come home, which won’t be until the end of January or possibly February.
“Lewis is currently suffering with jaundice, nausea, rashes, temperatures, and lethargy just to name a few of the side effects. Despite all this he is still smiling his way through reassuring his family he will be ok.
“I couldn’t be any more proud of my boy and how he copes in such horrendous, heartbreaking circumstances.
“All I can hope for is that this horrible disease doesn’t return again and that his body accepts the transplant.”
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
