Young Leigh cancer patient aspires to 'be jolly'

Young Leigh cancer patient aspires to 'be jolly'

A nine-year-old boy battling a rare form of cancer penned an adorable note reminding himself to 'be jolly'.

Lorraine Mitchell, 49 from Leigh-on-Sea, found the handwritten missive in Finn's school bag as he was battling tumours in his spine, pelvis and shoulders.

And now that the brave youngster is in recovery, the piece of paper takes pride of place on the family's kitchen fridge.

Finn was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue tumour back in September 2016 after experiencing severe stomach pains that left him struggling to walk, crying in his sleep and 'screaming in pain'.

Metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma affects fewer than 60 children in the UK each year - and Finn's was stage 4. 

Brave: Finn was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue tumour, back in September, after suffering from severe stomach pains that left him struggling to walk and 'screaming in pain'

Finn's proud mother Lorraine said: 'I found his "be jolly" note in his school bag at the start of the school term in September, which was around the time he began to deteriorate'

Mother-of-two Lorraine told MailOnline: 'Finn first became ill at the end of August last year and very quickly deteriorated. Consequently, it was a huge shock for us all and Finn has been so brave.

'Finn has had to deal with many difficult challenges such as his phobia of needles and anaesthesia, extreme nausea, loss of weight, constant lethargy, loss of mobility and bodily functions, loss of his hair, in addition to managing extreme pain on a daily basis. 

'He has missed nearly a whole year of school and all the activities a normal nine-year-old should be enjoying. Despite this, Finn is still smiling and has been so positive, we are super proud of him.'

By Christmas Finn, who has a 19-year-old brother named Dan, was in the acute stage of his chemotherapy treatment and was 'very poorly', having a feeding tube inserted as he had lost so much weight.

Lorraine, who works as a learning support assistant at a primary school, said: 'I found his "be jolly" note in his school bag at the start of the school term in September, which was around the time he began to deteriorate and he must have been quite ill at this point. 

Gruelling: The youngster endured nine sessions of intensive chemotherapy over a period of six months and has missed almost a year of school. He is hoping to return in September

Last Christmas, Finn who has an older brother called Dan, was in the acute stage of his chemotherapy and was 'very poorly', having a feeding tube inserted (pictured in hospital)

'We kept it in his notebook and we bought it into hospital with us, though it now takes pride of place on our fridge.' 

The youngster endured nine sessions of intensive chemotherapy over a period of six months and has missed almost a year of school. He is hoping to return in September. 

Finn's consultant recently confirmed that the youngster is in 'very good' partial remission with most of his tumours having disappeared, while traces that remain are currently inactive.

He has started chemotherapy maintenance treatment and also recently completed a course of radiotherapy to his lungs at University College London Hospital (UCLH).  

Lorraine said: 'Finn has coped amazingly well. He still prefers not to talk about his illness.

Mum Lorraine said: 'Finn is a huge Harry Potter fan, he also has his own You Tube video channel and hopes one day to become a vlogger'

Proud Lorraine said of her son: 'This has been a great medium for him to express himself. I think it is a reflection of his positivity that he has chosen a phoenix as his username and logo'

Recovery: Finn has started chemotherapy maintenance treatment and also recently completed a course of radiotherapy to his lungs at University College London Hospital

'He has spent so much time in hospital this last year but he has always concentrated on just getting through the treatment in order to get home again.' 

Adding that her son had always been 'a little bit quirky', Lorraine said: 'He has recently created his own You tube channel, Finnthephoenix: fired up, as he would like to become a famous vlogger when he grows up. 

'This has been a great medium for him to express himself. I think it is a reflection of his positivity that he has chosen a phoenix as his username and logo. 

'He also recently told me that he thinks that life is a dream and when you die, you just wake up... very profound for a nine-year- old.'

Finn and Lorraine are supporting the Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens Star Awards, in partnership with TK Maxx. To nominate someone to receive an award or to find out more about the campaign, visit: cruk.org/kidsandteens 

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