Young patient Liam returns to spread some festive cheer

20 December 2017

A six-year-old who spent last Christmas in hospital after being diagnosed with Leukaemia has returned – to spread cheer to other youngsters spending this festive season away from home.

Liam Finazzi came to the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford last December with back ache and was diagnosed with Burkitt’s Leukaemia, a rare, fast-growing type of leukaemia in which too many white blood cells form in the blood and bone marrow.

Two days later, Liam was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, spending Christmas – and the next four months – receiving treatment. During his treatment, while his immune system was affected, Liam contracted a virus, which resulted in Liam suffering a brain injury.

Liam subsequently spent three months in rehabilitation in Surrey, before finally returning home to his family in Much Wenlock in October.

Liam’s mum, Kerry, said: “Last year at both the PRH and in Birmingham, Liam and his brother Callum had so many visits from people handing out presents to children who were in hospital over the Christmas period. The boys asked if, this year, we could do the same.”

As a result Kerry and her husband Andy put an appeal on their Facebook page for friends and relatives to donate selection boxes which they could then deliver to children in Telford and Birmingham. This week Andy borrowed a spare suit from Father Christmas, and Liam, Callum and Kerry acquired some elf outfits, to deliver chocolates to youngsters on the Children’s Oncology Unit and Children’s Ward at PRH.

The visit came the day after Callum, nine, was presented with a kindness award after being nominated by the parents of another patient in Birmingham for the way he helped youngsters receiving treatment there.

Lisa Harries, Play Practitioner at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs PRH, said: “We are very grateful to Liam, Callum, Andy and Kerry for thinking of the young people in our care at this time of year, especially with everything that they have going on in their own lives.

“It was lovely to see the family again. Liam and Callum were very popular when they were here and we are delighted Liam is able to spend this Christmas at home.”

Kerry said: “We are really looking forward to Christmas this year. Last Christmas Day was spent in hospital. This year will be very different and very special.”