Rhys was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, having just started secondary school. Rhys received a course of chemotherapy, and we were told that he should make a full recovery.
Throughout the cancer treatment, our family was split between myself in the hospital with Rhys and my husband looking after our three other children.
As a closely connected family, this was stressful and hard for our family, especially after the cancer returned. Rhys completed his chemotherapy treatment and rung the end of treatment bell in April 2022.
In April 2022, Rhys was re-admitted to the hospital because the cancer had relapsed and was given a stronger form of chemotherapy treatment, but the cancer did not reduce in size.
In June 2022, Rhys was transferred to our local hospice and in July 2022, aged 12, he died surrounded by his family at the hospice.