| Location | Sunderland |
| Age | 15 years |
| Cause of Death | Organ Failure |
| Date of Birth | 29/04/1993 |
| Date of Death | 01/10/2008 |
| Visitors | 8,644 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.
Extra hard.
Every day is hard without you Peter but there are some days that just seem a bit harder, yesterday was one of those. You should have been collecting your GCSE results, like every other sixteen year old, knowing this made the day harder, your missing so many things you should of been part of.
You would have accepted a lift to collect your results but I would of had to stay in the back ground as you would have wanted to open your results with your friends, then be very laid back regardless of the results. Your dad and I couldn't watch any news yesterday as the very scene I could imagine would have been played out on TV reminding us how much your missing.
We miss you so much, and grieve for the life you should have been living. Loving you always Mam.xxx.
Results !!
Hiya Peter Mate, i love the new SAFC background your mam's put on, its very you lol :)
We all got our exam results today and im well chuffed, i passed them all :D i was thinking about you on the way home from the caravan this morning and i started to fill up with tears! then reminded myself that you would be at your school watching all your friends opening their envelopes with a massive smile :)
i hope everyone is happy with what grades they've gotten and i know that you would have done great too mate, especially in PE & maths :)
Well im getting paid tomorrow, hopefully!! i had to hand in a CRB form to work the other day and i was joking on about it with your mam and dad sayin i should put down that im a mass murderer haha. i really miss you here in Wooler it's never going to be the same and i have come to terms with that but everyday i miss you and want you back with us :( , i've met some people who live here and become good friends with them and i think you would have liked them too :)
its the glendale show on Monday, don't know if my lot or your lot's going, i'll be working :| Joy. But i'll be at the show dance after, i'll have a good time for you mate :)
Well i'll speak to you another time darling, bye for now, Keep smiling X x x x
results day
hiya peter we all get are results today and i think everyone is really nervous about them i no that you would have done so well in them. hope you can be with everyone at the school to help us through it. sorry its short but am in rush just letting you no i was thinking of you as always love alicia xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Results day tomorrow.
Peter, its GCSE results day tomrrow, and to be honest with you, im papping my pants, i hope your gonna be there with me when i open them, & be there to wish you friends good luck when they open thiers (especially sarah) :). its hard, as times getting on, its getting closer to 1 year, and knowing that you would have been starting college, probably the week that i do, which is the 14th, which is in 19 days time, im looking forward to it, i think, but its hard coz i know that most of your friends at sunderland will be finding it hard to, so you gotta make sure your gonna be with them, i'll be back tomorrow to tell you my results, when i open them & oh by the way, can you work your magic, so that neall comes to meet me & that he'll forgive me for being stupid the other night haha, anyway, for now, be careful babe.
sleeeep tight; loveyou always xxxxx
x x
hi peter,
sorry i haven't been on for a while. must be about a month, but you see i forgot my password apparetnly, im sure i was putting the correct one in , but obviously not, and when i tried to change it i wasn't allowed!! it really annoyed me.
wel, we get our exam results next week, and i raelly am not looking forward to it. you should have been ith us,but, the worst thing for me will be going to college without you. your mam was telling my mam how you would have been doing the same course as me, so i think i will find it hard, going all alone, when i know i should have been goig with you.
well, this year i think the boxing day dip is going to be much better than last year :) wooo. i know your mam dad adam and family are wanting to do it :) me and sarah have been talking, and this year, we have a bit longer to talk about it p[roperly and have found enough people to make two teams :). i try to make it sound like a good thing, which it is, and the thought of raising money for young chldren, who ae poorly, such as you were, makes us want to do it, but then we're like well, really, we shouldn't have to do it without you being here, you know. but i think this year we are going to go all out and maybe dress up :) me and sarah have had a right laugh, we have been thinking about going as: smurfs, tea bags haha, loads :) i wanted to go as iggle piggle but sarah wont let me :( lol. its so hard, becuse we really want to dress up, but we also really want to get t-shirts done again, and we are finding it hard to decide what we want to do.
i've been really missing you, and i seem to have been missing you a lot more lately due to the fact we get our results and go to college, its the things we would have all been celebrating together, and it doesnt seem like its worth celebrating because there is a big chunk of the year group missing.
i would also like to appoligise to you. a few weeks ago i went to the pictures with the girls, and the movie went into a lot of depth about basically your life. i mean i feel so ignorant because i knew you were going through a lot, and in a lot of pain, and i did understand, well at least at the time i thought i did. the movie opened my eyes to a lot more, i mean i had the upmost respect for you and couldn't believe how you did it, kept you smile while you were going through what you went through, but now, i actually can't believe it. it makes me sound really ignorant, but i though i knew how poorly you were, nbut i now realise in a totally different prospective. i hope i dont sound like i didnt care or anyhing, because i really did. your absolutely amazing darling.
love you and miss you loads,
keep shining, smiing and laughing.
lots of love xxxxxxxxx
OUR SPECIAL NEPHEW PETER
Hi peter
Ten sad months have passed without you babe's, we miss you so much some days are harder than other. we talk about you every day and always will as you are our special nephew. well peter my holidays have came too a end tomorrow it has been hard not seening you running about and playing football on the field with our jack sophie and our adam. i look at your bench every morning and hope you are chilling out on it. we love you to bits son. I love talking to you and i always will as i no you are here at the van and at home with us all love you forever and always in our hearts. From your broken hearted auntie julie uncle mick sophie and jack xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Updated at last!
Gone too soon have finally been able to add SAFC to the memorial theme choices. So I've been able to update your memorial to what you would choose, your favourite footy club. Missing you always, love mam.xxx.
I Love You Peter (LL)
Alicia and i were sitting last night talking about you, it's nice to do that, we never cried, we are strong fro each other and everyone else. Just wish you could have been there with us talking about our jobs, college and reminiscing about days we spent together.
Loosing you is one of the hardest things i have had to go through in my life and i know i'll carry it with me all through my life. My memory of you will NEVER be erased because i will just not let myself forget about you. It would be impossible.
10 days to go until we get our exam results and i'm really nervous, you should be there opening yours too, i know you'd have done well, you loved school, i hope your there with me though to help me along when i open mine, you can be first to know what i get :).
Love you always babe, missing you so so much, give me a visit sometime, i like those :). Until then, i leave my love (LL)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
fooooooooty season :)
hey.
just reading the message your dad wrote down there. Im pleased him & your mam have seen them pics, i found them the other day, i'm gonna have a look and see if i might have a few others to put on :).. your dads right though, it must be a hard time with the footy season & stuff, but im sure he knows you'll be watching it with him though, coz even i know you wouldnt miss sunderland playing, not for anything haha.
keep smiling darling, thinking of you always, & missing you loads babe xxxxxxxxx
Always smiling
Hi son just seen the new photo's Neasa has put on your site, looking at them brings back good memories and what helps a little bit is that every photo we have of you and photo's everybody else have of you, you are always smiling on them it shows you were happy in life and lived life to the full. missing you like mad.
Its Saturday 15th August 2009 and it is the start of the premiership season this was the time you loved, football season starting as you loved supporting Sunderland and playing for Bexhill boys. This season is a season you said you would only dream of Sunderland being the only northeast team in the premiership with Newcastle and Boro going down. Today will be hard as we always sat with each other and watched sky sports and watched the day unfold, we even sat last year in hospital and watched it together even when you were poorly but you always asked how Sunderland got on. Today will be hard sitting watching Sky Sports without you but hopefully you will be sitting beside me kicking every ball as we used to every saturday. Hope Sunderland win and have a good season for you son. missing you more and more each day always thinking of you every minute of the day. love you loads DAD.
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