Grappling with a life-threatening illness is a difficult ordeal for anyone, but imagine having to contend with one as serious as leukemia at just a few months old.
Well, now aged four, Josh Stockhill was one such child. He fell ill from the potentially fatal cancer twice in his short life, per SWNS. Defying the odds, he has recently started school.
Josh, who has three older brothers and a younger brother, was just eight months old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Learn more about brave boy's touching story:Naturally, his parents Kirsty Knighton and 36, and Craig Stockhill, 40, were devastated by the news.
"We started noticing him coming out in bruising, which we thought was a bit strange as he wasn't even moving about at that point," Kirsty said per SWNS.
She continued:
"We took him to the doctor, who sent us to Peterborough City Hospital for a blood test.
"They told us they suspected leukemia, and they sent us to Addenbrookes Hospital at 8pm that same evening, where we were told he had infantile acute nymphoblastic leukemia.
"We were devastated. We were absolutely floored by it. We never, ever thought it would be that."
According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a rare type of cancer that affects white blood cells. It can progress quickly and aggressively and requires immediate treatment.
Around 790 people are diagnosed with the condition each year in the UK.
Shortly after Josh began his "rigorous" chemotherapy, he developed sepsis, landing him in intensive care.
"We were told that there was a 50/50 chance he would make it through the night. We almost lost him at nine months old," Kirsty said.
Following nine months of treatment, the family was hit with yet more upsetting news - their now-two-year-old had relapsed. Josh was now counting on a brain marrow transplant.
"He got a rash and an abscess on his face, and we kept asking whether it had returned," Kirsty recalled.
In an attempt to find a bone marrow match for Josh, his brother Zach was tested. Unfortunately, he was not compatible.
All was not lost, however, as Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge managed to find a perfect match for Josh's surgery - a patient in Spain.
Just a couple of months short of the two-year mark since Josh began treatment, the young schoolboy is now better than ever.
"We mark every milestone, and with each one he is getting better and better," his mother said. "He will be on medication for life, and under consultation for life, because of how severe his leukemia was. We don't know what the future holds for him. But he's such a jolly child. He's so excited to start school."
In the wake of the ordeal, Kirsty is encouraging people to think about donating blood.
She explained: "It was a cord blood donation from Spain that saved him. Some hospitals keep it, some don't, but it can be a real lifesaver.
"It is so, so important - if you ever get the chance to donate, please do."
