A four-year-old boy who managed to beat leukemia twice in his short life is now ready to go to school.

Josh Stockhill was only eight months old when he was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the lymphoid line of blood cells.

The young boy’s mother, Kirsty Knighton, said there were times when she thought she wouldn’t have the chance to see him in school uniform.

Josh’s parents, Craig and Kirsty, were left devastated after they were told that he may not survive. But on September 16, he defied the odds as he got ready to start his first day of school.

“I got so emotional when he tried the uniform on. We have seen so many children who have not made it through our journey – we are so thankful Josh has this chance,” Kirsty shared.

“He went in on Tuesday to see his new classroom and meet his teacher, and he’s so excited to start properly.”

Kirsty is now urging others to donate blood when they can after a cord blood donation saved her son’s life.

Speaking about Josh’s first diagnosis, Kirsty said: “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. We took him to the doctor, who sent us to Peterborough City Hospital for a blood test.

“They told us they suspected leukaemia, 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.”

During the first month of chemo, the little boy developed sepsis. “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 expressed.

In 2018, they were told that Josh’s leukemia had returned and he needed a crucial brain marrow transplant. His brother was tested as a bone marrow match but he wasn’t compatible.

“He got a rash and an abscess on his face, and we kept asking whether it had returned.”

Fortunately, Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge found a match from a patient in Spain.

“We mark every milestone, and with each one he is getting better and better,” Kirsty said. “He will be on medication for life, and under consultation for life, because of how severe his leukaemia 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.”

Kirsty added: “It was a cord blood donation from Spain that saved him. Some hospitals keep it, some don’t, but it can be a real life saver. It is so, so important – if you ever get the chance to donate, please do.”

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