| 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.
today
a year today,
one year has gone.
this time last year,
two parents lost a son.
adam lost a brother,
we lost a friend.
our love for you
will never end.
so as we remember,
the good times you had.
we think a lot
of your mum and dad.
im sure you know
how proud they are
and how we all
know you're a star.
you were so brave,
but yet didn't show
the pain you felt
we didn't know.
we knew you were brave
we knew you were strong.
but your smile was on you face,
all along.
so i just want to say
how i miss you a lot
i think of you everyday.
don't worry i haven't forgot.
i love you. i miss you.
and want you to see,
how your name will remain
in our hearts continuously.
sleep tight peter. love you and miss you. thinking of you family today and everyday
xxxxx
today
Hi peter,
I dunno whether this year has flown or dragged, but i know its been so hard being without you. The differce in school was uinbelievable. You would have been so proud everyone and adam as he came back to school and made friends like we all knew he could. We all knew he could do it yet we all looked out for him just incase anything went wrong, acting like big sisters and big brothers. A year ago today, the world seemed to have stopped when the words came out of the teachers mouth, the full hall changed and most were crying. The teachers did what they could but obviously we were too upset to stay in the school. The school sent us for an early dinner but we came to see you babe. The room was gorgeous, the room where before we would leave everyone upstairs and go down and sit on msn. It was beautiful, filled with candles and your favourite things. A little kiss on the hand was all i could leave you but everyone wished they didnt have to leave anything but leave that room with you, to go out and do what we enjoyed best, sitting behind the club :) .
I dunno what to say peter, todays gonna be so hard for me, and everyone else. We dont have the school community to hold us together anymore but im sure well all be thinking of eachother throughtout the day and trying to help one another through it.
Watch over everyone today, its your special day babe. Filled with thoughts about you and only you. Help your family the most peter, no one can understand how hard its gonna be for them to get through this.
Love you milliond babe, RIP. Candice xxxxxxxxxxx
The day our hearts broke.
1st October, the worst day of our lives. We finally got you home (just), close family were waiting to say their goodbyes. Then your dad and I were left alone with you. It's so hard to even think about that moment you were taken from us, words will never be able to describe how we felt.
The rest of that day moved along (time stops for no-one), things had to be done. Then your friends began to arrive, so upset but so respectful.
Our hearts broke in two that day, what ever we do there is always a shadow of sadness. Your life should have been longer that 15 years, it's hard to accept your not here.
I hope that your new journey is amazing and when the time comes you will guide us through ours.
Peter we desperately miss you and will always love you. Forever in our thoughts, Mam and Dad.xxx.
one year
hiya peter i cant believe that it has been one year already without you i miss you so much. even though your mam had told me that this day was going to come it was still such a shock to hear them tell me that you had left us. it was such a hard day for everyone coming home was horrible as i new that you werent going to be there anymore this was the worst feeling ever horrible feeling. i can still remember coming to see you when i got back in even then it didnt really sink in that i was never going to see you again. you had so much to look forward to this year as well even to this day it still doesnt seem right that your not here we all still talk about you and all the great times we had with everyone and the great times that me and you had together. i get tears in my eyes everytime i come on here to talk to you as you should be here for me to talk to. we have shared a lot of memories together and sometimes i get a bit selfish and think that you should be here still but i no that this is better for you as you are no longer in pain. look after your mam dad and adam tomorrow as i no that it will be really hard for them.the 1st of october will never be the same again thinking of you always love aliciaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Last day in hospital
30th September was your last full day in the hospital, it should have been you getting all excited about going home the next day. You tolerated hospital as we all thought it would make you better, however you didn't like being there. You would have run out when your home day came.
Life is so cruel.
Loving you always, love mam and dad.xxx.
heartbroken :( xx
as your mam said when we were told what was happening to you and what was going to happen, I could not believe it, we were all heartbroken. The first time we were told things wern't working for you we were at the caravan and your aunty Julie phoned us to say what was happening, I could tell something was wrong as my mam started to cry straight away, then we were all in floods of tears for the rest of that friday night! we went home the following saturday as it was too upsetting to stay there where we have all our memories :(
after we got home we went to tell Amy Parker the news. We both went to school and I wasn't going to tell anyone what was going on as no-one else knew who you were at my school except me and Amy but I ended up in tears all day anyway so people found out that way :/
the next few days were horrible all we could think about was what you and your family going through and that we might never see you again, I still couldn't believe any of it, I still thought that you had a good chance of getting better, especially when my mam told me you were going into intensive care and onto a machine.
I'm feeling really miserable, all of these bad memories are coming back to me now and I can't even imagine what your Mam, Dad and Adam are going through, as well as the rest of your family!! I will be sending all my love to you and your family & friends on Thursday and I will try to get on here too.
Hope everyone will be okay, Janette, Alan and Adam I will be thinking of you's all day hope you're okay, same to all Peter's other family & friends
Miss & Love You Always Mate Xxxxxxxxxx
This time last year....
Today this time last year we went in school all happy and just seeing what the day was going to bring us but we didnt expect the news we were going to get in form. I knew something was wrong when miss maddison was a little teary and she was asking us all to be quiet cos she had a very important announcemt, after all of us were quiet she started to explain how you only had a few days to live. it was a horrible experience to go through and i didnt know anything else to do but cry. it broke my heart it did. i cried all morning thinking how much pain you must have been going through and couldnt believe it was happeneing.
The past couple of weeks ive been thinking about you lot with it coming to the one year mark. thinking when you went in hospital non of us expected anything like this to happen. we thought you would just get better then come out of hospital and all of us could sit behind the club again ;)
everytime i walk past the back of the club i think of all the great times we had behind there, playing spot, that used to always be a laugh i never won like but it was still good :D
We still all miss you so much.
Well ill write on again on thursday morning before i go to college. Love you lots (LL) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Heartbreaking
Just sat here reading your site Peter, it's so sad, tears streaming down my cheeks. xxx
A final request
29th September, as your dad and I sat with you I said to the nurse that I wished you'd been able to go home, the nurse surprised me by saying that it was possible. When the doctors were updating us I announced what I wanted, after a few seconds silence from them they started to talk about plans to make it happen, Wendy (nurse manager from bone marrow unit) said she would even carry you on her back to make it happen.
You coped with alot in your short life, you always said you loved home and felt happy there. Getting you home was important as I knew this is what you would have wanted.
Loving you always, mam and dad.xxx.
Bearer of sad news
28th September, the days started with two phone calls, Helen (Lauries mam) and Viv (Neasas mam) giving them the news that you only had a few days with us. Both of them broke their hearts, they thought of you as family.
Lunch time we had you and Adam christened, the chaplin did a small service that was very moving. Close family stood in your room keeping the tears silent and talking as though you were going to get better, after everyone went home the nurse said to us that your monitors showed you had been relaxed and were responding when people talked to you.
That night I went to Sarahs house and Alicias house to break the news, both stood for a few seconds (shock) then tears.
You were such a special person that touched so many lives, we all miss you so much.
Loving you always, mam and dad.xxx.
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