Boy starts school after spending Christmas in coma

A four-year-old boy has started school this week, less than a year after he spent Christmas in a coma.

Oliver, from Wakefield, was in Leeds General Infirmary for five months after he was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in 2025.

Despite the brutal side effects he suffered, doctors managed to successfully treat Oliver and he is now in remission, having left hospital on New Year's Day.

The young pupil's mum, Cora, said it was "extra special" watching her son start his reception year.

Oliver fell ill on Mother's Day last year and was subsequently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had affected his abdomen, spine, brain fluid, kidneys, and liver.

He underwent intensive chemotherapy, which left him with red-raw ulcers on his mouth and a depleted immune system, which meant he had to be kept in isolation.

Cora, 33, said: "Last year was absolute hell. The cancer snatched so much away from Oliver and from all of us.

"We went from having an energetic little boy who loved trains and going to the park, to watching our son puffed up with steroids, losing the ability to walk and at one point stuck in a coma for a month, desperately fighting to stay alive."

Although he needed physiotherapy to help him walk again and his sight has been permanently affected, Oliver is now cancer-free.

Cora added: "Every parent gets emotional about their child starting school, but it is extra special seeing how excited Oliver is to make friends and learn how to read and write. We'll never take moments like this for granted."

Cora and Oliver's other mum, Helen, said they wanted to share their family's story as part of a Blood Cancer UK campaign, which is highlighting the special moments the disease can take away, as well as the ones made possible due to successful treatments.

Symptoms of blood cancer can include fatigue, unexplained bruising, recurring infections, and pains in the bones and joints.

Matthew White, the charity's director of engagement, said: "We want to showcase the amazing resilience of those who adapt to these moments or celebrate once they have come through treatment, and to pay tribute to the researchers who are helping people recover from cancer or live a better quality of life.

"We want to raise awareness so people understand the devastating impact it can have and support us to fund the research that gives children like Oliver a future."

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