Express & Star

Lucas is a Little Star for his cancer fight courage

A brave four-year-old from Walsall is lighting the way for more children with cancer to be recognised for their courage.

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Lucas Reece, of Priestly Road, was honoured with a Cancer Research UK Little Star award earlier this year during his battle against leukaemia.

Despite being diagnosed when his disease was at an advanced stage, little Lucas is now on the road to recovery and his family are keen to see more children receive the award.

Stars including England captain Wayne Rooney are helping to celebrate the courage of West Midlands children as Cancer Research UK launches its annual Little Star awards, in partnership with fashion retailer TK Maxx.

Lucas was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in November last year after suffering many weeks of ill health.

His mother Michelle Reece had taken the little boy back and forth to the GP with a rash on his face, lumps on his neck, and a swollen stomach but was assured that his distress was probably a minor infection or allergy.

Lucas with his award

He was eventually referred for blood tests, but before the appointment came through his stomach swelled so badly and he was in such pain that his parents took him directly to Walsall Manor hospital.

Doctors suspected he had leukaemia and he was transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital where further tests followed and the diagnosis was confirmed.

He began intensive chemotherapy within a week.

Mother-of-two Mrs Reece said: "The doctors said that Lucas's disease was so advanced he had one of the highest white cell counts they had ever come across.

"They started him on the second level of chemotherapy because his cancer was so severe, but when he didn't respond to the treatment they increased the dose to the highest level. Thankfully Lucas did respond to that, and he hasn't looked back since.

"I think the worst thing for me was that Lucas would wake up in the morning and say to me, 'Mummy, where am I today? What is happening today?' He never knew whether he would be at home or in hospital, or what they would be doing to him that day. It broke my heart."

Speaking of the award, she added: "Getting the Little Star award was a real boost for Lucas.

"He couldn't believe that he had got an award, because in his eyes he had done nothing extraordinary. It's thanks to research that more and more children are surviving, so we're really grateful to Cancer Research UK for all the work they do."

Relatives and friends of young cancer patients or survivors from across the region who deserve special recognition are being urged to nominate their little stars in the run up to Christmas.

Recipients get a trophy, a £50 TK Maxx gift card and a certificate signed by celebrities.

The Little Star awards are open to all under-18s who have cancer or who have been treated for the disease in the last five years.

Visit cruk.org/littlestar to send in a nomination.

To donate £5 from your phone bill to Cancer Research UK's work into children's cancers text STAR58 £5 to 70070.

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