| Location | Sunderland |
| Age | 15 years |
| Cause of Death | Organ Failure |
| Date of Birth | 29/04/1993 |
| Date of Death | 01/10/2008 |
| Visitors | 8,642 since 01/10/2008 |
| Creator | |
| Helpers |
After a long battle with illness, my son Peter decided he had enough and was ready to rest. He was
the most special son that I could of asked for and I will miss him so much. Fifteen years is just
not long enough but every minute with him will never be forgotten. His baby blue eyes and his
gorgeous smile would just melt your heart. In such a short time he touched so many lives and has
left everyone with fantastic memories. Forever in our hearts and in our memories, always at peace.
Our brave boy
Peter came into the world a little late but left far too early. He was born a healthy baby, our
first child. He had milk intolerance in his first year and the usual coughs and colds but nothing
that would give us any concern.
He was a kind and loving boy that you couldn’t help but love. When he started nursery and school
he was keen to be one of the lads. He loved football and began playing for a team (Bexhill Boys)
when he was just five years old, and went to his first Sunderland match the same year (19th
September 1998 Sunderland 7 – Oxford 0). Peter loved school as he saw it as a great place to
socialise, his effort in his school work was just enough to get by although the teachers always said
he could do better, which he was starting to do in his last years (really well in maths). Peter got
on with most people and any fall out with friends would not last long. He loved girls and had a
steady stream of females at the front door, his laid back nature and sense of humour appealed to
everyone.
Peters first stay in hospital was due to an accident (slipping on the stairs and breaking his leg)
he had to wear a full leg cast but it didn’t let this get him down. In the winter of 2002 he
began to lose his hair, the doctor said that it was alopecia and sure enough in the spring his hair
grew back however in April 2003 we noticed he was bruising very easily. After examination and blood
test by the doctor he was referred to haematology at Sunderland General we were told he had ITP
(idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), a blood disorder that effected his platelets that control
blood clotting. A year later his spleen was removed and this seemed to solve the problem however
approximately a year later he noticed a small lump under his arm. It was discovered after a biopsy
that his lymph gland was swollen, then started various infections and low white cell counts, then
the platelet problem returned.
Sunderland General referred Peter to the immunology department at Newcastle General Hospital, and in
November 2006 we were told that his immune system was immature and Peter would need to be observed
at regular clinics. May 2007 Peter attended a scheduled appointment at the immunology clinic, he
was admitted a day later as we were told he had a severe chest infection (pneumonia - we found out
later), in the meantime a scan had been checked (done weeks earlier to investigate a lump in his
eye) it showed that Peter had brain tumour. The specialists thought the worst as he had lumps in
other places, but after several biopsies (neck, brain and lung) it showed that all the lumps were
non-cancerous. The immunology specialist believed that the best option was to give Peter a bone
marrow transplant to give him a new immune system.
Peter left hospital a month later and went back to school happy to get on with everything he did
before. He was disappointed that he could not play football due to the tumour and platelet issue,
he was not allowed to swim either as he now had a hickman line (an access point direct to his main
artery, so the various medications could be given easier). But this did not stop him from getting
on, he never played on his illness and really stuck in at school, performing even better. Spending
time with friends was important to him and some of the stories we have heard since just proved that,
he even came home with a black eye after being knocked in the face during a game of football!!!!!
May 2008 arrived the time for him to be admitted to the bone marrow unit, he was looking forward to
the time he was ‘just normal’. The new bone marrow took really well and Peter was so calm and
laid back, the staff thought he was brilliant. Then a complication set in GVHD (Graft verses host
disease) which can attack the lungs, skin or gut, in Peters’ case it was his gut. He coped well,
the doctors began treatment but there was no improvement. In the August they sent him to Holland,
where a specialist treatment using stem cells was given. A month later he was sent to Holland again
but now things were not good. Peter was so poorly but he didn’t give up, then Friday 26th
September 2008 the doctors decided that he should go onto a ventilator in the intensive care unit.
Saturday 27th September 2008 the worst news, nothing more could be done and Peters’ organs were
shutting down and that we needed to get ourselves prepared. Sunday we had Peter and his brother
christened with close family with us. With only days left I mentioned that I wish I could have
taken him home, as on Peters down times (there weren’t many) he just wanted to go home. The staff
were brilliant and did everything to grant mine and Peters wish. Peter hung on and Wednesday 1st
October 2008 we took our son home to his own bed (still sedated and on a ventilator). The
ventilator was removed after everyone’s goodbyes and his dad I held him as he slipped into his
eternal rest.
Peter’s bravery is an inspiration to those who knew him especially his dad and I, we miss him so
much, our lives will forever have a huge hole in it.
Still Hard
Hi Son this last week or two has just been as hard as the week or so after you left us into your eternal sleep. I miss you more and more each day and my heart is broken into a million pieces. People say it gets easier I would like to know when as it is not for me and your Mam it seems to be getting harder. We miss you so so much it hurts every time we wake up in the morning until the time we goto sleep at night. All our love Dad and Mam.
The Final Goodbye :-(
Babe, today is the day we all finally got to say our goodbyes to you, the first funeral i had been to, ever & THE MOST HEARTBREAKING day of my life, so many tears by so many people showed how many lives you touched. i love you, you are always in my heart, you will never be forgotten, i miss you so much. We have so many memories together, that i wll never, ever forget, i cannot believe you are gone, my life is so hard without you, so i cannot believe the pain & hurt your family are going through, they are also in our thoughts, always, just like you. RIP darling, love you always xxxxx
Final Goodbye
This day last year we all gathered to say goodbye. The weather today is exactly the same as last year, clear bright blue sky. We all found the day hard. The amount of people there just showed how many lives you touched.
Life is still so hard without you Peter, loving you always mam and dad.xxx.
Well its another date of memories today... A year ago we had another difficult day of the final goodbye. Will never forget that day or you Peter! Love you and your family loads. X x
Rememberance service
Hi Son just to let you know your Mam, Nanna and I went to a rememberance service at St James's church in Newcastle on Sunday 4th October 2009. This service was to remember all the children who passed away on the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit) at Newcastle general hospital. It was very emotional with a lot of people there. It was a lovely service and we all wept buckets. We all miss you so so much. All my love Dad.
special present :).
i thought that i would send you a picture od me and Oscar, wor carls youngest son, he turned 1 year on the 4th sept & as you have been gone just over 1 year, i thought i would send it today, coz i didnt think it was right to show you yesterday, i know that you would have loved to have met him, you would of thought he was great, i know how much you loved travis, its unbeleiveable how much alike they look. i wish you were still here to see them both, coz i know that they would have loved you, coz we all know how much you loved your footy, and travis has started going to footy patches playing, he reminds me of you. you would of loved to show him how to do all the footy tricks & stuff. im gonna send you a pic of them both together too, so you can keep it with you, where ever you go & i know you will be watching them as they both grow into young boys. you would have been so proud of them both, i miss you darling, keep shining. love you always, sleeeep tight xxxxxx
:'(
1 year since we all said goodbye to an amazing lad, Peter it's so hard to believe you've been gone this long, I was in tears before as I was reading all the lovely tributes everyone has left for you, I came on here before and started to write one to you but I had no idea what to say!! All my emails today have been from gonetoosoon, everyone leaving gifts, candles and tributes and there is still more coming through! :)
All I've been thinking about today is what everyone would have been going through this time last year, especially your Mam, Dad and Adam. I had been on a trip with the school all day and my mam, who works at the school, got the text to say you had gone. I felt something on the bus on the way to the trip around that time but I was still hoping things would be okay even though we had been told you were been taken home, I was still hoping you would pull through. Then when I got back from where we had been my mam was waiting to pick me and a friend up, I could tell something was wrong then but I didn't actually think it would be what it was. When we got home and my mam told me you'd passed away I burst into tears, thinking that we would never see you again broke my heart, it still does to this day all I wanted to do that night was to go and see you and your family to say I was so sorry and to say our goodbyes. I would have loved to go to Sunderland today to see your Mam, Dad and Adam and pay our respects, I know all your family and friends have been to yours to do the same thing :)
There was a blue sky for you today Peter, and I wore a blue top to college for you, my way of thinking of you.
Well bye for now Mate, I'll never forget you, love you & miss you always
xxxxx
hello babe,
one year today :( it has came so quick. i left some flowers at the crem for you today and left you a little message in the book. i still miss you just as everyone does. you were a very special boy and are still loved so much.
keep looking after us peter, especially your family. love you forever. beth fenwick xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Aspecial nephew, 1 year today x
A very special nephew, softly within the shadows there came a silent call + quietly you left us all, God did what he thought best, he put his arms around you and whispered "come to rest".
There is still a lot of heartache,still a silent tear, but always wonderful memories of a nephew we loved so dear. The heartache we feel today is the same as we felt that terrible day one year ago "to the day".xxxx
Cannot believe its 1 year today Peter, it seems like only yesterday that you closed your eyes and were free from pain.
I still remember as clear as anything when my phone bleeped, I'd just opened my shop Ell's kitchen 2 days before and was busy serving a customer,as soon as i heard that bleep i knew what it would say, i couldn't open the txt, i went outside the back of the shop and stood a while before i opened the message, it was from your dad, i couldn't read it for the tears, i didnt want to believe it, i was devestated.
The hardest part was walking into your house, then into the room where you were lying, your mam & dad had the room beautiful, you looked so at peace lying there, i just wanted you to open your eyes and sit up. I sat with you for a while talking and crying, i just couldn't believe it.
Ive had the shop a year now, but i could'nt celebrate being there a year because i knew it was coming up to a year for you in the same week, we miss you so so much.
when i left the shop today i went up to the crem, took a bouquet of blue flowers for you, a lot of your friends had been and left messages for you in the book, i added my own message from me,natalie david & chloe, we miss you so much.
It's hard with David being the same age as you, he started college this year and i keep thinking peter should of been doing that, it will be hard in the future, everything David does we all know that you should of been doing that aswell, but i know you will be looking down on david and wishing him well on everything he does,its so so hard when you lose someone so close someone you loved so much.
Take care Peter darling, We miss you and love you with all our hearts xxxxxxx
love you forever your broken hearted Auntie tracey and your broken hearted cousins Natalie,David & Chloe xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
areet peter ;)
Missing you, it's been a year now bro I really miss you. This is my first tribute. Banksy is having a fight for you Peter so I think that's really nice for you. I like the new school, if you were still here and in year eleven you would love it, its really big and the food is lush. I can't wait to see you again, well see you when I see you Peter bye for now :) Adam.
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