Oliver's Leukaemia Story

We are Carol Guy, Cally Wareham, Brogan Blake, Harley Mays, Jeorge Guy and Charlie Friend

 

Collectively we are fundraising for an awesome, very sick child; Oliver Williams

 

 

 

And his family. Sian, Richard, Jacob and Emily.

 

Oliver was diagnosed with Leukaemia in September this year and the whole family's world has turned upside down since that awful diagnosis was made.

 

Leukaemia is Cancer of the blood!!!

 

We are fundraising so Richard and Sian can adapt their house and make it more suitable for Oliver, They need their downstairs bathroom turned into a wet room and will require ramps and assisted aids around the house. Oliver is no longer mobile and will require weekly trips to the hospital for his chemotherapy. There is going to be a significant loss of income due to Oliver needing around the clock care.

 

We would also love to give the family something to look forward to when Oliver has a break in treatment. Oliver's dream is to hold a Koala bear. This is possible at Longleat safari park. A week at the Centre Parcs near by would be fantastic for the whole family.

 

For several weeks prior to his devastating diagnosis Oliver was baffling medical professionals with his excruciating back pain and anomalies in his blood results.

 

Paramedics were frequent flyers at the Williams household, Oliver was spending more time at the doctors and hospitals than anywhere else.

 

Oliver was presenting with considerable lower back pain that was crippling him, His family were given several different reasons for Oliver's pain.

His Mother, Sian was advised to take him swimming in a hydrotherapy pool as the doctors believed Oliver to be suffering from a lumber sprain. Oliver was advised to keep moving through the pain. Sian followed this advice yet it was very clear that this was not helping Oliver's pain in the slightest.

Each professional that saw him gave a different reason for the pain he was experiencing. Oliver was sent from his GP to hospital back to his GP.

A few weeks after the back pain started Oliver changed. His colour left his body, he turned a yellow grey colour. He no longer looked like Oliver, He looked dead. Something needed to change. He needed help.

Richard, his dad and Sian his mother took him to the GP in a wheelchair, The doctors were expecting them, they had had a meeting prior to the visit.

Oliver was again sent to Eastbourne hospital, This time he was sent with a letter. They headed straight to the orthopaedics department. This time it was different. Oliver looked so sick, they were transferred to Conquest hospital in Hastings. They has been sent for URGENT investigation!!!! When in the waiting room, Oliver was administered Oramorph for the pain. Things were about to change.

 

Hastings hospital was a real turning point for Oliver. He had to have a COVID PCR test, he was used to these by now as every time he'd been to hospital they had given him one. his result was negative! He was admitted onto a ward.

Oliver had a spine x-ray and a MRI. The Doctors seemed very concerned. However no one explained what they were worried about. A couple of days Later Sian and Richard were told that Oliver was going to be transferred to a hospital in Surrey for a bone marrow biopsy.

Everything was all set, then one of Oliver's COVID PCR tests came back positive!!!

This caused a complication for his transfer. Oliver became unwell with COVID along side the other symptoms, his temperature spiked and he had chest pains. Sian was concerned the transfer would not take place. Luckily it did, However due to the fact Oliver now had COVID Sian had to go to the Royal Marsden hospital by herself with Oliver. She too had to isolate with him. They arrived late that night and Oliver was booked to have a bone marrow biopsy the following day.

 

The Doctors were concerned about how Oliver would react to the bone marrow biopsy as he suffers with a neurological disorder. ADHD, Sian explained that Oliver doesn't present with the hyperactivity side of the disorder, but he instead suffers with the attention deficit side of it, something he has lived with his whole life. It was decided that Oliver was to be put to sleep for the procedure.

 

Before the biopsy a consultant came to speak with Oliver and Sian, She asked Sian if she knew what they were looking for in the biopsy, Sian said no. Although what Sian and Richard were both expecting was a diagnosis of Arthritis. The consultant explained to both Sian and Oliver that they had found leukaemia cells in Oliver's blood!!!!!

These were not the words that any parent ever expects to hear about their child, Leukaemia! Cancer!
Oliver had a blank look on his face, Sian was unsure if he has understood what the consultant had said.

 

Oliver is a child! He is only 16 years old.
Weeks prior to his back pain starting, he  was a fit healthy, happy  boy looking forward  to starting a course at Plumpton college in motor mechanics. The college has a wonderful SEN department, they had been supporting Oliver with the transition into further education.

Sian was in shock. Oliver was in shock. Sian was trying to process the information she had been given. Sian was informed that during the bone marrow producer Oliver would receive his first does of chemotherapy straight into his spine.

 

The family would be eternally grateful for any donation to Oliver no matter how small. If you aren't in a position to donate then please share Oliver's story.

 

We have set the target of £10,000, we are hoping this can make a difference to Oliver and his family.

Thank you for taking the time to read his story.